A Walk in the Park
by errobotter
Summary: Harry runs away to escape his abusive relatives. Alone, with no place to go he inadvertently stumbles into someone who will change his life. Given a stable home environment Harry applies himself to step out of TBWL's shadow. Experimental piece that has found a direction as a X-over that may expand further. ON HIATUS
1. A Meeting at the Park

**Chapter 1: A Meeting at the Park**

**AN: I started this story because I wanted something to take my mind off of my other story, "A Rocky Road." The story is going to be very different but I hope that you enjoy it. Please read and respond. This is the tale of what could have happened in an AU that featured a slightly darker Dursley family and another magical family that lived in Surrey. **

**AN2: This chapter has been edited**

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**AWitP: A Meeting in the Park**

It was a hot July morning that had started out uneventful, as most mornings do on Privet Drive. In a community such as this, where each neighbor sought to outdo the rest, it was assumed that there were secrets. Every resident projected an image of normalcy to their neighbors that allowed them to fit into the imagined utopian community while not divulging any of the secrets that could potentially damage their reputations. Rumors spread like wild fires on Privet Drive and, inside of Number 4 Privet Drive, there was a bigger secret being kept than in any of the other houses on the block.

The Dursley family had been appalled when, on one unremarkable morning, they opened their door to find a small baby with a lightning shaped scar on his forehead wrapped in a blanket and nestled in a basket on their doorstep. Petunia Dursley was shocked to see her name written in a narrow, loopy style of handwriting that she could never forget on an envelope attached to the basket. In order to avoid a scandal, Petunia hurriedly took the baby into her home before slamming the door. After reading the letter, she realized that she had been saddled with a burden that she would loathe carrying. However, with considerable spin Petunia Dursley was able to portray herself and her husband, Vernon, as two altruistic benefactors who simply wished to help the orphaned son of her drunken sister.

The Dursley family put a roof over Harry's head, gave him his own room with a warm bed to sleep in, and fed him. In their eyes, the boy was extremely ungrateful for all that they provided him with. In reality, they did provide him with all of the things that they boasted about to their neighbors. However, his room was a closet underneath the stairs, his bed was a raggedy mattress that had belonged to his cousin Dudley Dursley's trundle bed, before the petulant child lost control of his weak bladder and soiled the mattress so thoroughly that even after multiple washes it still reeked of ammonia, and his meals were little more than the table scraps that his uncle and his cousin could not bring themselves to eat.

Needless to say, Harry did not have a happy life. He was essentially the Dursley family's servant and they took every opportunity to remind him of the fact. When the Dursleys went on their lavish excursions to reward their son Dudley, Harry was usually left with their neighbor, Arabella Figg. However, she had been unable to allow Harry to visit with her when the Dursleys planned a trip to celebrate Dudley learning to ride his bicycle because of prior engagements that she refused to elaborate on. So Harry found himself alone at the Dursley house under the explicit instruction to not touch anything unless he wanted to receive the beating of a lifetime.

The first time that Harry had been in a similar situation he had taken the initiative to make himself a sandwich because, after being left alone with no food for ten hours, he was hungry. When the Dursleys returned and they found that they were short two slices of bread, Vernon Dursley, Harry's morbidly obese walrus of an uncle, had beat the young boy within two inches of his life. After that incident Harry spent three days locked in his closet as his body did things that he knew shouldn't be possible. Somehow is broken ribs healed themselves and the bruises that Vernon's large, thick hands had left upon his throat and wrists had vanished.

When the door was finally unlocked and he was released from the cabinet Petunia Dursley, his giraffe of an aunt who firmly believed that neither her husband nor son could do any wrong, breathed an audible sigh of relief. She had noticed that Harry had been uncharacteristically quiet for the last few days and sincerely hoped that the boy wasn't dead. Her hope wasn't because she had any love for the spawn of her sister and her 'Freaky' husband but because she didn't want to be wrapped up in the scandal that would occur if the boy, who had been seen coming and going from the house on occasion by the neighbors, suddenly disappeared with no explanation.

Harry was going on six years old but, only standing three feet tall, he was much shorter than a boy his age was expected to be. The scraps that he gleaned from the Dursleys were not enough to sustain normal developmental patterns. His raven-black hair looked like it hadn't been combed or cared for in his life and his emerald-green eyes lacked the spark that would be expected in the eyes of a healthy person. The Dursleys did not allow him to wash his own clothes when he washed theirs because they didn't want their clothes to be contaminated by his "Freakiness" and wouldn't allow him to waste their water or detergent by washing his clothes separately because of this he was continually filthy; this only offended the Dursleys more.

Harry didn't know much about what was beyond the Dursley's front door but he had a feeling that it couldn't be much worse than what he had been forced to endure over the past five years under their care. He had made the decision; he would run away and find a place for himself in the world. Before he left, Harry caused as much destruction as he could before he smeared ketchup on the wall of his cupboard. Hopefully they would think that someone broke in and abducted him otherwise, if they found him, the punishment would be severe and most likely fatal. Harry didn't pause to take one last look at the Dursley residence, he adjusted Dudley's backpack, filled with the money that he had found in his aunt and uncle's room and selected foods from the fridge and cabinet, before walking away from the house.

Harry walked as far and as fast as his small legs could carry him; unfortunately his underdeveloped muscles tired quickly and he was forced to seek shelter in one of the covered plastic tubes that connected the various sections of the Jungle Gym at the local park. He made himself a sandwich to battle his fatigue. Although he wanted to get as far away from the Dursleys as possible, he knew that he had a better chance to survive the night if he had shelter in addition to the blanket that he had packed. The summer air was still warm, but autumn would be coming soon. Harry decided to wait out the midday heat in the slide.

Harry's first time at the park had been wrought with worry as he kept imagining the Dursleys finding him and invading his new found safe haven to take him home and punish him. Harry was just a child and he was very scared. After the first hour that Harry spent near the entrance to the slide he was not interrupted by anyone; he relished his freedom and was optimistic of what the future could have in store for him. During the second hour, as Harry was preparing to depart from his hiding spot, he heard a man and a woman speaking while a child whined in the background. Harry's blood ran cold when he realized that his fear had just been realized; the Dursleys had inadvertently stumbled upon the runaway.

Harry did not know whether or not the family had been home since he had fled from their house but could not shake the feeling that if they found them he would be subjected to punishment that was more severe than anything that he had experienced so far in his short life. With every fiber of his being, he hoped that he would not be found. An overwhelming fear paralyzed young Harry. The boy wanted to run as far away from his abusive relatives as possible but his legs refused to obey. Harry had backed into a corner and pulled his legs to his chest as he attempted to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. From his seated position, he felt the Jungle Gym shake as the hefty child jumped on and began rumbling toward the slide. Harry was rocking in fear as he repeatedly wished that his relatives would not find him. As the sound of the other child's footsteps grew closer, Harry became desperate and if anyone was close enough they would have seen his eyes flash an iridescent green before his the top of his head disappeared, followed by his face, then his shoulders, next his torso, then his legs, and finally his feet.

Harry had stopped moving and was holding his breath as the child, his overweight cousin Dudley, barreled past him without sparing a second glance while rushing to the slide. Harry was flabbergasted, his cousin never passed up a chance to antagonize him or get him in trouble. It was as if the other boy heard Harry's thoughts as he jumped back on the Jungle Gym and raced back to Harry's position. Harry thought that, surely, the moment of reckoning had come and his presence was going to be revealed to his Aunt and Uncle. Curiously, Dudley never breathed a word of Harry's presence on the slide to his parents. However, after his fifth time down the slide the boy exclaimed that he wanted to go home to make sure that the 'Freak' had not broken any of his toys.

Much to Harry's relief, Petunia and Vernon Dursley agreed with their son before complimenting each other on how noble they had been in adopting and caring for the miscreant. The affection that they were showing one another turned into malice as they considered how they would punish the Freak if he had dared to break any of their rules. The family made their way over to their car and drove away leaving an extremely confused Harry in their wake. He had squeezed his eyes shut and concentrated with all his might each time he heard Dudley approached his hiding place, in the hope that he would remain undiscovered.

Harry was not so naïve that he believed that by closing his eyes he would be able to effectively hide himself from his relatives but after Dudley hadn't seen him, either the first or any of the subsequent times that he rushed past Harry, Harry did not want to tempt fate by changing something that seemed to work and squeezed his eyes shut each time the overweight boy rumbled past. Each time he closed his eyes and focused his entire being on remaining undiscovered his body would vanish from his head to his toes and each time he did so the process took slightly less time to occur. It was only when Harry heard three car doors slam and the engine start that he dared to open his eyes. Harry's fear was shortly replaced by exhilaration and wonder; the Dursleys had been in the park and they had not noticed him and forced him to return with them to be punished.

Now that Harry had truly escaped the Dursleys he was faced with a dilemma. As a six year old who had never been allowed to make friends the young boy had nowhere to go. He had seen more of the world since he left the Dursley home that day than he had in the previous six years of his life combined. Harry was trying to figure out what his next course of action should be when he heard the unmistakable sound of a car pulling up followed by doors slamming; Harry was unsure, but he believed that he heard three doors slam. His anxiety slammed into him like a runaway train. Harry could only imagine how his relatives had reacted when they saw the state of their house and now they had come back for him. Harry could not stop shaking as he imagined the pain that lay ahead of him. It took all of his will power not to cry out when he heard the sound of feet pounding on the surface of the Jungle Gym.

Harry closed his eyes and once again focused on not being found. The source of the noise was getting closer to Harry and he redoubled his efforts hoping that he would not be discovered. The feet's pounding came to a halt in front of Harry and he was surprised to hear a soft feminine voice say "hmm." Harry knew immediately that the voice did not belong to his cousin and let go of the breath and sighed in relief while opening his eyes. Unbeknownst to Harry, by doing these things he also stopped focusing on his desire to remain hidden and became visible to the girl who had stopped right in front of him. She yelped in surprise when Harry appeared.

"That's so wicked! What's your name? I've never met anyone my age that could turn invisible!"

"I'm Harry, Harry Potter," replied Harry before he processed that she had just said that he had been invisible. "Did you just say that I was invisible?"

"Didn't you know? All of the adults that I've talked to about disillusionment charms have told me that no matter how well the spell is cast the caster will always become slightly exposed when they move," answered the girl, clearly delighted by his ability. "Hold on, did you just say that your name was Harry Potter? Is it true, do you really have a lightning shaped scar on your forehead?"

Somehow, the girl seemed to know about him. Harry brushed his hair off of his forehead before confirming that he was, indeed, Harry Potter.

"No way, you have to come meet my parents!" the girl exclaimed as she grabbed his hand and began to drag him to the slide. "This is so cool! Here, I'll sit down first then you put your legs on either side of me and we'll go down together. It's faster this way and way more fun! Actually, since I'm a little bigger than you, you sit down first and I'll ride behind you!" The girl maneuvered herself behind Harry and was surprised by just how light the boy was.

"You're so little, how old are you?" asked the girl with a puzzled look on her face.

"I'm six," Harry responded timidly.

"I'm six too! No offense, but I thought that you were younger because you're so little. Oh well, time to slide!" the young girl declared while beaming at Harry.

An apprehensive look appeared on Harry's face as he looked down the slide and realized how high they were off the ground. The girl saw this and assured him that everything would be fine. Harry looked at the girl. She was taller and bigger than he was and would be considered average for her age she had a bright smile, shoulder-length, brunette hair that Harry would have sworn was several shades darker when he first saw her, and blue eyes that implicitly told Harry that he could trust the girl.

Harry sat down on the slide and felt the girl put her legs on either side of him before pushing them off and wrapping her arms around his midsection. Harry flinched because of the unexpected contact but was exhilarated as they sped down the slide. When the pair reached the bottom Harry could not stop smiling; sliding down the slide with his new friend was the first memory of his life to that point that hadn't been marred by any negative emotions. While Harry was reliving the memory the girl got up from behind him and pulled him by the hand toward the adults that were chatting on a bench near the Jungle Gym.

"Mother, Father, you will never guess who I met on the Jungle Gym. This is Harry Potter! He's so cool and, guess what, he can make himself invisible! Harry show them how you made yourself invisible earlier!" prompted the girl. Harry was reluctant to do so but when he looked into the girls eyes he felt confident that he could trust her. Even though Harry wasn't completely sure how he managed to make himself invisible he assumed that it had something to do with how strongly he wished to go unnoticed by his cousin and his relatives. So he closed his eyes and repeatedly wished that they wouldn't be able to see him. After several painstakingly long seconds Harry was beginning to feel a little silly and began to imagine how he must look standing there holding his breath with his eyes closed. Thus Harry was surprised when he heard the adults gasp. Immediately he opened his eyes and stopped focusing on his desire to be unnoticed. "See, I told you! Isn't it awesome?" squealed the girl in apparent delight.

"That is very impressive indeed, but you will need to calm down; your hair is starting to turn pink again, Nymphadora," chided the girl's mother. Harry looked and to his surprise, the girl's hair was, in fact, beginning to take on a pinkish hue.

Harry could not help but stare in awe before he began to share in her excitement and shouted "That's wicked!"

"Yeah, you aren't the only one who can do cool things with your magic," Nymphadora replied, smiling at Harry. "We are going to have so much fun together!"

Nymphadora's parents got off the bench and kneeled down so that they were face to face with the children. Harry saw that Nymphadora's mother looked very similar to how Nymphadora looked before her hair started to change colors. She was a taller woman with an exceptionally beautiful face and an extremely curvy body. She looked like one of the women from the magazines that Harry's uncle would sometimes leave under the sink in the bathroom. Her husband was only slightly taller than she was, standing five feet, eleven inches. He was an unremarkable man with an athletic build and a generous expression on his face. It was clear that he enjoyed helping people and would be extremely dedicated to any cause that he supported.

Nymphadora's mother spoke again, "Hello Harry, my name is Andromeda Tonks and this is my husband, Ted Tonks. Tell me, why are you here all by yourself."

Harry was worried that the woman would make him return to the Dursleys but she shared the same eyes that made him trust Nymphadora so he spoke honestly, "I ran away, I couldn't live with my Aunt and Uncle anymore. They are terrible people and never wanted me." Harry shuddered involuntarily when he added the last part.

"Harry, I'm sure that's not true. They must be worried sick about you," admonished Andromeda.

Harry scoffed at her assumption. "I don't think so. They never wanted to have a 'Freak' like me in their house and reminded me almost every day."

Ted Tonks had been silent to this point but had to speak when he heard Harry's declaration. "Harry, what makes you think that they thought of you that way. Did they do or say anything in particular? Did they ever hit you or abuse you physically?"

Harry retreated into himself as he thought of all of the terrible things that the Dursleys had done to him and all of the names that he had been called. His eyes became watery but he wouldn't allow himself to cry in front of these people. Instead of answering vocally and risk losing control of his emotions, Harry merely nodded.

"I see, I won't press you for details now Harry but eventually you are going to have to tell me what they said and did to you so that we can begin to make things right. Until then, you can come and stay with us. Would you like that, Harry?" Ted asked, presenting the option to the young boy.

Once again, Harry didn't trust himself to answer so he just nodded his head. This caused Nymphadora to squeal with joy and rush over to Harry and wrap her arms around him as her hair rapidly changed color alternating between pink, red, and purple. Harry didn't know how to respond so he wrapped his arms around her as well and her hair settled on a mix of the three colors. "This is going to be so much fun!"

Once Harry and the Tonks family had all made it to the car and were buckled up Harry had found his voice once again and asked a question that had been formulating since Nymphadora had introduced him to her parents. "Excuse me, Nymphadora had said that what we were doing was magic. How can that be? There is no such thing as magic."

"Harry, what are you saying?" asked a perplexed Andromeda. "Surely your Aunt and Uncle told you that your parents were a witch and a wizard. Those two were one of the most formidable pairs that I have ever seen. Your mom was as exceptional with charms as your dad was with Transfiguration."

"I was told that they were drunks who were killed in a car crash because they didn't know when to stop," admitted Harry sheepishly.

Ted Tonks let out a hearty chuckle when Harry said what he had been told about his parents. He glanced back at Harry and saw the red faced boy's eyes begin to water again. "I'm sorry; I was not laughing at your parents Harry. I was laughing because that is preposterous. Your Aunt and Uncle deceived you; although your parents, like everyone else, had their issues they never would have gotten behind the wheel of a car and knowingly put their lives or anyone else's life at risk if they had been drinking. In fact, I can't recall a time when I ever saw either of them have more than two drinks in the same night. The pair loved each other dearly and didn't want to pollute their love or relationship with anything, especially something as mundane as alcohol."

Harry returned to his normal color as he listened to Mr. Tonks talk about his parents. What he heard was so different from what the Dursleys had told him that he almost couldn't believe that it was true. He hadn't realized it but he had been holding his breath in an attempt to take in all that Ted had been saying, "Please, can you tell me more about my parents?"

It was Mrs. Tonks who answered Harry. "You are like a mini version of James. You even carry yourself in the same manner. I was a sixth year when he first arrived at Hogwarts and he was a little shrimp. He befriended my cousin, Sirius Black, and the two along with their friends Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew, were the source of many pranks that are now the stuff of legends at Hogwarts. Your mother was much more reserved than James when it came to pranking; your father and his friends had many people who wanted to succeed in playing a prank on the group but only one ever succeeded. I always said that little Lily Evans would have made a great Slytherin and her cunning proved it when as a second year she managed to give Transfigure your father's hair into a pink afro. He was stuck with that ridiculous hair for a week and definitely learned his lesson about crossing your mother."

Mr. Tonks laughed again at the memory. "I was in the year below Andromeda and got to witness as the Marauders, as they began calling themselves, came into their own as third years. The group was very innovative and, because of that, was able to prank in ways that never had been seen before."

"That's wicked. Pranks sound like they can be fun but can you tell me more about who they were?" asked Harry, desperate for knowledge of his parents.

Andromeda nodded, impressed that the boy was not over-awed by the fact that his father was a prankster. "Your mother was a very kind woman who used her talents to help people. She was a healer that people referred to as the Red Angel because of her red hair and angelic beauty. She was a queen of multitasking but somehow never was overwhelmed by all that she was made to juggle. When the war started she was able to save many lives. You have her eyes."

Harry nodded his head, captivated by Mrs. Tonks' description of his mother. She looked back at him and saw the expression and decided to continue. "Your father was one of the leaders of the Light side in the war against the Dark Lord. He was a master duelist and was able to turn the tide of battle against the Dark side. Your Parents, along with the Longbottoms, the Bones, the Diggorys, Sirius Black, and Albus Dumbledore were considered to be the most powerful witches and wizards who stood against the Dark Lord. Your parents and the Longbottoms, in particular, were able to accomplish something that no one else, other than Albus Dumbledore was able to do; they were able to face the Dark Lord three times and battle to a stalemate."

"Wow," Harry breathed. He had images flashing through his head of the kind of people Mrs. Tonks was making his parents out to be. "So what happened to them? You said that they didn't die in a car crash."

Mrs. Tonks took a deep, measured breath before she began to answer the question. "Harry, your parents were killed by the Dark Lord. For reasons that no one knows, the Dark Lord had marked your parents for death. Your mother had just given birth to you when Dumbledore came to them and told them that it was imperative that they go into hiding if they wished to save you. He cast a powerful charm of protection known as the Fidelius to keep your parents safe. When something is protected by the Fidelius charm only the Secret Keeper can give the location of the protected object away; unfortunately, your parents were betrayed by their secret keeper and the Dark Lord was able to catch them off guard. He broke into the Potter Cottage in Godric's Hollow and killed your parents before he finally attempted to kill you. He attempted to use the killing curse, a curse that no one had ever survived, but, miraculously, you survived and he was destroyed by his own spell. That is where your scar came from. That is why you are known to almost everyone in the magical world."

Harry's mind was reeling due to all of the information that he had just received. Contrary to what the Dursleys had tried to convince Harry to believe, magic existed. His mother and father were not worthless drunks but, instead, a respected witch and wizard. They fought in a war against a Dark Lord and were able to save many lives and help many people. His family had powerful allies and was considered a force to be reckoned with in the magical world. His parents were not killed in a car accident but because they were betrayed by someone they trusted. He was the reason that the Dark Lord was no longer running around and killing people.

Nymphadora was also reeling; she had, of course, known that Harry was the boy-who-lived but she had never heard the story in such detail before. She couldn't believe her luck. Her parents had been reluctant to let her go to the park after they heard news reports of people being attacked in Surrey. However, Nymphadora had been compelled to go to the park and convinced her reluctant parents to take her despite their protests. After she heard her parents speaking to Harry she was sure that she had been destined to cross paths with Harry Potter. He was completely alone in the world and circumstances had allowed Nymphadora and her family to save him from a life on the streets.

Harry seemed very hesitant to ask his next question. "S-so what happens next? I can't return to my Aunt and Uncle's house; they'll kill me for running away."

Mr. Tonks sighed before answering Harry. "Well, how about you tell me about what life was like with them and from there I will be able to tell you exactly what we will be able to do for you."

"I thought that Freak was my name until last year when I started first grade. When they would leave me home alone I wasn't allowed to touch anything. The one time that I did I was beaten as a punishment and locked in my closet for three days before my Aunt finally let me out. They make me do the household chores to earn my keep but don't allow me to wash my clothes because they don't want to be infected by my 'Freakiness'" Harry said earnestly before continuing. "When I tried to wash my clothes separately they beat me and didn't feed me for three days to make up for the money that I wasted by using their electricity, water, and detergent. They barely feed me and when they do it is never enough, I'm constantly hungry but can't do anything about it."

Mrs. Tonks and Nymphadora were appalled at the living conditions that Harry described. Nymphadora's hair turned Scarlet as she voiced her opinion. "That's not right! No one should be treated like that, especially not Harry! How can they get away with such a thing? Mother, Father we have to help him!"

Andromeda caught her husband's attention and nodded in agreement with her daughter's words. Ted Tonks took a minute to compose himself before speaking. "Harry, all of what you just described could be considered child abuse. Tomorrow I will pay your relatives a visit and we will get everything straightened out. I daresay that they will agree that it is in everyone's best interest to let you stay with us."

Harry beamed at the possibility of never having to return to the Dursley house again. This was turning better than he had even dared to imagine. The rest of the ride passed in silence as everyone thought over what they had just learned. When they arrived at the Tonks' residence Harry was very impressed. Although the house was not the biggest on the block it was spectacularly well maintained. The long driveway led past a small fountain to the side of the house. From there Harry could see that the backyard had been fenced in and that once he got out of the car he would have sworn that he heard the sound of falling water.

He would definitely be interested to see more of the place and Nymphadora was happy to be his tour guide. She took him through the foyer where they took off their shoes, into the main hall. As they walked into the hall they passed the kitchen on their right which was connected to the informal dining room. Just beyond the informal dining room was the formal dining room. Across from the informal dining room were two doors. One door opened up to a pantry and the other opened into a bathroom. Just past the bathroom was a stairway that led upstairs, Nymphadora walked past that one stating that they would use the other set of stairs once they finished the tour of the ground floor. They continued through the sitting room and passed the door to the basement before they made their way upstairs so that Nymphadora could show Harry the bedrooms. The master bedroom was like nothing Harry had ever seen, it was majestic in a way that made him wonder if he was dreaming; Nymphadora pinched him to assure him that he was not. The other two Bedrooms were also grand but not quite as spectacular as the master bedroom; they were connected via the bathroom that they shared.

Harry was flabbergasted by what he had seen of the property so far and was having trouble figuring out how the house could appear so small on the outside but be so grand on the inside. When he asked Nymphadora the reply was simple: magic. Magic also allowed the backyard to be so spectacular. Harry had been correct when he thought he heard running water. The Tonks family had a hot tub nestled in a rocky cove that overflowed into a pool that was surrounded by a deck. On the far side of the yard, where the children would not be tempted to use it to jump into the pool was the trampoline. And along the fence were a series of benches and swings that could be used for private conversations. At the far end of the property was a garden that was filled with some of the liveliest and strangest fruits and vegetables that Harry had ever seen. The stone paths that led from one area of the backyard to the next were lined with torches that would magically light at night and allow one to easily find their way to their destination simply by speaking its name.

Harry almost didn't want to go back inside but Nymphadora assured him that he would want to see the basement. She had not been mistaken. Although Harry could not identify the majority of the objects in the basement's main room it was obviously meant for training purposed. There was a raised pavilion in the center and practice dummies lined the far wall. Harry assumed that eventually it would become a haven for him. Taking her companion's hand, Nymphadora led Harry into the other main room of the basement only briefly stopping to point out where the bathroom was located. Harry's mouth dropped. The last room of the house was a library. He knew that he shouldn't be surprised but he couldn't help himself. The Dursleys never did anything to encourage Harry to read, they couldn't stand the thought of him being better at anything than their son. Harry vowed to return to the library soon and begin to develop his knowledge so that he could make an impact on the world.

After the events of the day Harry was exhausted. The Tonks parents chided Nymphadora for taking so long showing Harry around but were pleased that he approved of the house. They took down Harry's relative's information before they sent Nymphadora and Harry to her bedroom and the guest bedroom respectively to go to bed. Ted and Andromeda agreed that Harry should stay with them until he came of age. Fate had been cruel to the boy he had lost his parents and been condemned to years of misery and suffering at the hands of his relatives on the same night. The Tonks parents also believed that it was destiny that had brought Harry into their lives and they intended to do all they could to make sure that they boy would grow into a happy and healthy young man. Before they went to bed the couple swore that they would free Harry from the relatives that had abused him and give him the life that he deserved.

The next day the Tonks parents woke up very early and went to the Dursley household. They caught Vernon before he left to go to work for the day and gave him two options: either sign over the custody of Harry to them or be taken to court and publicly humiliated for all of the child abuse that Harry had suffered at their hands. Unsurprisingly, the Dursleys decided that it was in their best interest to sign over guardianship of the whelp to the pair that had arrived on their door step. After all, they had never wanted the boy and were glad to be rid of him.

Harry had been woken up by Nymphadora jumping on the guest bed. Nymphadora had been decided that since she was awake Harry should wake up so that she would have someone to practice her powers with. Harry was rather slow to get up until he was hit in the face with a pillow. The resulting chase around the house was exactly what Nymphadora wanted to start the day. Eventually the pair made their way out to the trampoline and started talking about their powers.

"So Harry, how were you able to disillusion yourself? Have you ever done anything like that before?"

"No that was my first time, I just wished with every ounce of my will that my relatives wouldn't be able to see me and it sort of just happened," answered Harry. "How does it feel when you use your power? It's pretty cool that you can change your hair color whenever you want to."

"Mother says that it is a sign that I'm a metamorphmagus and that I should be able to change any part of my body at will, not just my hair color."

"That is so cool," exclaimed Harry. "So, how does it feel when you change?"

"The process that you used to become invisible was almost exactly what I do to change. First I focus on my hair then I will it to turn whatever color I want. Watch, I'll turn it yellow," said Nymphadora as her face set in concentration. In seconds her dark brown hair had turned yellow just as she said it would. "I wonder… Harry, use the same thought process that you used to become invisible but focus on turning your hair green."

Harry concentrated on his hair and willed it to turn green. He felt like the process was painstakingly slow but eventually he felt something stirring within him and he felt as if a breeze had just blown through his hair although the air was still.

Nymphadora gasped when she saw Harry's hair shift from raven-black to a forest-green. She had been impressed by his ability to become invisible and was amazed to think that she may have inadvertently stumbled upon one of the few other metamorphmagi in the British Isles. When she had begun to show her metamorphmagus ability her mother had told her that the gift was exceptionally rare and that she was unlikely to ever come across another individual who shared her talent. When her parents returned they would be in for a huge shock. "Harry! I think you're a metamorphmagus also! We should play a little prank on my parents before they find out. Turn your hair back to its regular shade and look at me. We are going to memorize each other's faces and bodies then change ourselves so that I look like you and you look like me then we'll right ourselves when they get back. They will be so confused when I'm sitting there in your clothes and you are sitting there in mine when they turn their backs and we change back into our normal forms!"

Harry did what the young witch proposed and found that the force within him that allowed him to change the color of his hair and to turn invisible was much easier to locate than it had been the previous times he had accessed it. He turned to face Nymphadora and memorized every aspect of her body that he could see to the best of his ability while she did the same. After a few minutes they agreed that they were ready to give it a try. At first they both failed, they tried to shift their entire bodies to resemble the other person and became two children that probably would have been a good approximation of what their children, if they ever became involved in a relationship like that, would probably look like. However, that was not what the pair was aiming for so once again, they reverted to their original forms.

Harry thought about what went wrong and realized that they may have just tried to do too much at once and suggested that they only try to change one thing at a time and see if that would work better. To their delight, Harry's suggestion worked perfectly and after several minutes any on looker would have assumed that the two children had simply switched clothes. While Harry and Nymphadora were figuring out how to change their bodies to appear to be the other person the Tonks parents had returned home and were searching for the children to tell them the good news. Right as Harry and Nymphadora had succeeded in their endeavor they were approached by the Tonks parents who were looking at the children very oddly.

Andromeda was the first to break the silence. "Nymphadora, Harry, while we are happy that you two are getting along we must insist that you stay in your own clothes."

Harry and Nymphadora started laughing at Andromeda's order. They looked at each other and nodded before they resumed their original forms. To say that the Tonks parents were shocked was an understatement. Mr. Tonks regained his composure first. "Congratulations Harry for discovering that you possess such a unique gift. It has been a very long time since there were two metamorphmagi in such close proximity; if you two stick together then you will surely become an excellent team. I encourage you to make use of the library in the basement to expand you knowledge to become the best wizard that you can be."

Harry smiled at the prospect of being able to use the Tonks library until he realized that there was a pressing issue. "Thank you, Mr Tonks, but what about my relatives? Do I have to go back?"

The Tonks parents gazed warmly at Harry for a few moments before shaking their heads. "No Harry, if you want you will be able to stay with us until you come of age as a wizard. You can take lessons with Nymphadora and, when the time comes, the two of you will go to Hogwarts and get your magical education. How does that sound?" asked Mrs. Tonks.

Harry appeared to be on the verge of tears after her declaration. He vigorously shook his head and was surprised when Andromeda stepped up to him and gave him a hug. "The first thing we will need to do is get you new clothes, you aren't a second-class citizen in our family; what's ours is yours. Since Ted and I have the day off work we decided that we would go to the mall to get you your new wardrobe and introduce you to some of the things that we like to do as a family."

Harry was excited at the prospect of having a family and once again was nodding his head vigorously. Very soon after that the four were back in the car and on the way to the nearest shopping mall. When they got there they found shopping for Harry to be ridiculously easy since he didn't have particularly strong preferences when it came to clothing. So in a matter of hours they managed to obtain a sizable amount of clothes that could be magically altered to adjust to a growing boy. Andromeda had made Harry change into one of his new outfits in the store and threw his old clothes in the trash after they had paid for their purchases. Harry felt more comfortable than he ever had before when dressed in clothes and shoes that actually fit him.

When the family arrived at the mall's pizzeria Harry found the aroma tantalizing. The Dursleys had, on occasion, ordered pizza but when they did Vernon and Dudley made sure that no pizza was left over for the 'Freak.' Knowing that he was with people who wanted him to be there and was sharing a pizza with them made the pizza taste that much better to Harry. The boy had greatly enjoyed the time that he spent with the Tonks family at the mall and was very content by the time they made it back to the Tonks', and his, house. He repeatedly thanked Mr. and Mrs. Tonks for all that they had done for him but was shushed as they reminded him that he was now an honorary Tonks and that what was theirs was now his also.

After the long day, the Tonks familt and Harry bade each other good night before retiring to their rooms. Before he fell asleep he saw his door open and saw Nymphadora enter his room and approach his bed. "Harry, I just wanted to say that I'm glad that we found you in that park. A lot may change over the years but that is something that never will. We are going to have so much fun together! But you are going to have to try very hard if you want to keep up with me, I'm going to be a first-class Auror one day!"

"I will always do my best so that I don't let you or your family down," answered Harry. "But if you think you're going to be better than me then you must be dreaming!"

The pair burst into giggles at Harry's declaration. "I'm going to hold you to that, Harry Potter. When we get to Hogwarts we will be a force to be reckoned with! I can hardly wait for the next five years to pass!"

"I agree, but I look forward to learning more about magic. We have an amazing power right now and it would be interesting to learn what else we can do with magic."

"Wotcher there, Harry. With an attitude like that you may become a Ravenclaw!"

"I'm just so excited by all of this. Yesterday I didn't even know that magic existed and today I find that I'm a wizard. It's a lot to take in," joked Harry.

"It is, I'm glad that we found you," Nymphadora repeated as she gave him a hug before leaving the room. Harry just smiled as he contemplated the future; his future looked very bright, indeed.


	2. A Little Bit of Everything

**Chapter 2: A Little Bit of Everything**

**AN: This is the longest chapter that I have ever written. I hope that you enjoy reading it. I tried to incorporate some of the things that my reviewers inquired about and would love to know how they think I did. I had already planned a pretty big time-jump and started writing from that perspective so instead of getting rid of what I already had I included several flashbacks to give a glimpse of what happened at the Tonks residence in between chapters 1 and 2 chronologically.**

**AN2: This chapter has been edited**

* * *

**AWitP: A Little bit of Everything**

On the morning of September 1st, 1992, Harry Potter had woken uncharacteristically early and was reading one of his favorite books and waiting for breakfast. Harry had endured a hellish torture at the hands of his relatives during the first five years of his life and could not imagine what his life would have been like if he hadn't been rescued by the Tonks family. He closed his book and ran his fingers over the embossed title: Ender's Game. Harry felt empathy for the protagonist who had been labeled a 'freak' and tormented for something that was beyond his control; Ender Wiggin was a Third and, to many, that was an inexcusable offense. Like Ender, Harry had been victimized for things that were beyond his control and his relatives hated him for the simple reason that they could not tolerate anything that did not fit into their definition of the word normal. Harry's parents had been a witch and a wizard that were killed by an evil wizard bent on conquering the magical world and, unfortunately for Harry, this meant that he was far from normal. Consequently he was subjected to the ire of his relatives and was severely mistreated during the years that he spent in their 'care.'

Harry found that the book inspired him. Orson Scott Card did a wonderful job developing the characters and, as he read along, Harry had no problem visualizing the world that Card described. When Card explained how Ender worked to truly earn his place on the top of the leaderboard Harry realized that he would have to do the same thing. In the magical world he was considered a celebrity; people knew of 'The Boy-Who-Lived" but had no idea what kind of person that boy was. Harry had acquired fame as a baby for doing something that he couldn't even remember and was determined to become the best wizard he could be so that he would be remembered for the right reasons. When Harry had first learned of the circumstances surrounding his parents deaths he had been too grief stricken to realize what that would mean for him. However, the first time that the Tonks family had taken Harry to Diagon Alley the young boy had been introduced to his own celebrity.

_Flashback_

_After his first few months at the Tonks house, Harry and his adoptive family began to fall into a routine. On his second day Harry had nervously made his way through the house awed by the kindness that the Tonks family had shown him. Instead of hiding in his room, like he would have done at the Dursleys house, Harry ventured out and retraced the path that Nymphadora had taken him on the night before. Harry had been overwhelmed when he was first introduced to the house but was determined to get to know the house on his own time. When he finally made his way to the basement, Harry could not stop the grin from making its way across his face although he didn't understand the purpose of some of the equipment, its presence made Harry very excited. He imagined himself on the elevated platform that dominated the center of the room testing his magic against various opponents._

_As his imagination played out scenes of him sending jets of light at his opponent and dodging counter-attacks he realized that he didn't actually know any magic. He had heard the words 'abra kedabra' and 'alakazam' but didn't think that they were truly magical words. Instead of continuing his speculation, Harry's feet took him away from the dueling platform and into the library. Harry looked at all of the books and was not surprised that the titles contained many unfamiliar words such as Arithmancy, Herbology, and Transfiguration. Harry had been discouraged from reading when he lived with the Dursleys but couldn't imagine the Andromeda or Ted Tonks punishing him for being curious. So Harry moved along the shelf until he found a book that he thought would be appealing: Hexes, Jinx, and Charms to Keep You Safe From Harms. Harry pulled the tome from the shelf and plopped it down on the table next to one of the over-stuffed arm chairs in the center of the room._

_The first chapter explained the concept of a mobile defense to Harry; an opponent can't hurt what they can't hit. To Harry the prospect of using magic in a duel was very intriguing and he found himself captivated by the descriptions the book provided and the magically animated illustrations that showed the techniques. Inadvertently, Harry's arm began to mirror the techniques that he found in the book. Harry was completely submerged in the first chapter of Hexes, Jinx, and Charms to Keep You Safe From Harms and didn't realize that he was no longer alone in the room. Nymphadora's giggle broke through Harry's trance and left him deeply embarrassed when he realized how completely he had been focused on the book. Instead of making fun of him the young girl grabbed his hand and pulled him from the room as she insisted that he would be able to read in the library in the future._

_Andromeda had sent Nymphadora to get Harry so that they could go get him the things that he would require for his pre-Hogwarts education from Diagon Alley. In Diagon Alley Harry was mobbed by strangers who would gawk at him and speak about him as if he weren't actually there. The people who retained their ability to speak in his presence would ask him to take pictures or sign autographs but Harry declined because the whole situation felt wrong to him. After that time Harry would not to go out in public without first altering his appearance in a way that would make him appear to be just an ordinary kid._

_End Flashback_

Harry could only wonder how his life would be different if he had not discovered that he was a metamorphmagus when the Tonks family rescued him. Leaning back in his bed and looking at the sky out his window as the first rays of the sun began to paint the sky Harry smiled as he reminisced about the day that he had met young Nymphadora Tonks.

Harry had realized that something was not right with his life at his relatives' house and had run away. Looking back, Harry was surprised that he had made it as far as he had. Harry had been very small and malnourished and didn't have anywhere to go but he knew that anywhere was better than his relatives' house. In the park, where Harry sought a refuge from the summer sun, he had been terrified that his relatives would find him. Fortunately the fates smiled upon Harry that day and, even though his relatives chose to take their son to that same park, he had remained unnoticed. However, his terror had returned when he heard a car pull up and three doors slam; he was certain that his relatives had returned to take him home and punish him. He was shaking when he met the young girl who would change his life.

Harry did not know that he was a wizard. He didn't know that he had magical powers that, when given the proper stimulation, could give his skin the properties of a chameleon. Harry had essentially rendered himself invisible but the young witch had seen the distortion caused by his body and caused him to lose his concentration and, thus, return to his normal skin color. She had then convinced him to ride the slide before taking him to meet her parents. Her parents had been appalled to hear the conditions that Harry had been forced to live in by his relatives and gave him the option to stay with them instead of forcing him to return to his life with his relatives; Harry jumped at the opportunity and never regretted his choice.

* * *

Unbeknownst to Harry and the Tonks family, by forcing the Dursley family to let Harry choose whether or not he would stay with them they triggered a series of processes that had been dormant and almost forgotten about since their creation when Harry was first left on the doorstep of Privet Drive . In an office stationed in one of the tallest towers of an ancient castle a very old man stood up from his desk to determine what the cause of the ruckus was. Moving much more quickly than most would think possible for a man who was older than 110 years old, the man's beard streamed behind him as his keen blue eyes fell upon the instruments that had disturbed his thoughts. Rushing to the table where his precious instruments were suspended and protected by numerous anti-damage and anti-theft charms the man was appalled with himself; he knew immediately what the problem was. He had set up an elaborate system of wards and charms to make sure that Harry was safe from outside harm as long as he could call Number Four Privet Drive his home.

The ancient wizard picked up the instrument that he had charmed to make sure that Harry's family connection was strong and assumed the worst. The heart shaped container had been filled with a small amount of Harry's blood along with a small amount of his aunt's blood. As long as the two individuals maintained regular contact the heart would glow red and tell the man that Harry was still protected behind the blood wards that he had erected at Number Four Privet Drive to protect Harry and his relatives. The watery color indicated that something had happened that would make it very hard for Harry to see his aunt again and thus represented a very real threat to the magical world. The man, Albus Dumbledore, turned the container over and over with his dexterous fingers as he contemplated what could have caused such an event. Surely, Tom Riddle's followers had not found Harry through all of the protections that he had laid. Harry's whereabouts were known to a very select group of people that Dumbledore would trust with his life so Harry would not have fallen victim to treachery as his parents did.

Albus Dumbledore walked out onto the balcony that extended out from his office as he continued thinking. If the wards had not fallen because of violence and Harry's location had not been betrayed then the only possible reason that the ward would have been broken is because Harry had been exiled from the hearts and the home of the Dursley family. This was unacceptable, Dumbledore clapped his hands above his head and his familiar phoenix, Fawkes, appeared above him in a flash of fire before disappearing in another flash of fire with Dumbledore in tow. Instants later, there was a flash of fire on Privet Drive and Albus Dumbledore appeared. His prodigious skill allowed him to cast a notice-me-not charm that was powerful enough that none of the gossip-hungry neighbors would remember witnessing his arrival. Dressed in an iridescent blue robe covered with moons and stars the wizard looked like something out of a fairy tale as he strode to the door of Number Four. He knocked on the door and dropped his notice-me-not charm when a woman with a giraffe-like neck opened the door.

Albus Dumbledore's usually twinkling eyes became cold when he dropped his voice and said, "Good afternoon, Petunia. I hope it finds you well. Would you be so kind to invite me in, I fear that there is much to discuss." His tone of voice indicated that refusal was out of the question and Petunia would not want the neighbors to hear what a man who dressed in such a peculiar manner had to say so she let him into her house.

"Petunia, I believe that I impressed upon you the importance of keeping young Harry safe until he reached his magical maturity. It has come to my attention that you have failed to do this; at the very least you have shunned him from this house and I fear that you have also shunned him from your hearts. You must allow Harry to return. If his enemies are given the opportunity there is no telling what they will do to the boy for his role in the fall of their master. You must tell me, where is Harry Potter?"

Several minutes Albus Dumbledore walked out of Number Four Privet Drive and was emitting waves of power in his anger. He had used Legilimency to discover how cruel the Dursleys were to Harry when the boy lived with them and had to leave the house since he didn't want his magic to lash out and hurt a defenseless person, no matter how upset he was. He had never imagined that the sister of Lily Potter nee Evans would condone, let alone participate in, such violence against her own blood. Of course Albus recognized the couple who had come to put an end to Harry's torment but he could not figure out a way to justify visiting them that wouldn't also implicy that the injustice that Harry had suffered at the hands of the Dursleys had been his fault. Albus knew that Harry would play a critical role once the Dark Lord returned and he could not afford to alienate the boy at such an impressionable age. So he would bide his time and hope that the Tonks family would succeed in giving Harry the sanctuary and upbringing that Albus had imagined that the residents of Number Four Privet Drive would provide for the boy.

* * *

Alongside Nymphadora, Harry began laying a foundation for the information that he would be taught when he went to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He had spent many hours studying the books in the Tonks family library and was looking forward to being able to put his knowledge into practice. Harry waited anxiously for the day that he got to Hogwarts and would begin to use his wand to perform complex magic. When he discovered he could change his appearance at will Harry was ecstatic. He and Nymphadora would spend days competing to see who could more convincingly replicate other people. In the beginning Nymphadora would consistently beat Harry at their game but as time went on Harry would consistently win on the days that the pair tried to emulate males and Nymphadora would win on the days that they attempted to replicate females. They assumed this was because they subconsciously held onto some of the inherent characteristics of their gender and would not think to change them.

The pair was almost inseparable; one simply would not see one without the other. As a result of their friendly competitions both children would find the first-year classes at Hogwarts to be very easy. Instead of processing new information the pair would be able to focus on the practical application of magic. Harry was extremely excited by the prospect and couldn't help smiling when he recalled that his acceptance letter to Hogwarts had said that the train was leaving from Kings Cross Station on September first. After all the years of waiting, Harry was finally going to be able to take steps to become an officially recognized wizard and he could not wait. His excitement is what caused him to wake so early on that particular morning. He and the Tonks family would leave at eight o'clock to make sure that they got to the station on time.

Getting out of his bed, Harry walked over to his trunk and, for what must have been the hundredth time, double checked to make sure that he hadn't forgotten anything. As he had already verified, none of his belongings had moved from where he had diligently stored them the week before. His text books were nestled in the bottom of the trunk and hidden from view by his robes. His potions supplies were neatly arranged and contained within a shrinkable potion safety container that prevented them from inadvertently mixing or contaminating anything else in the trunk. Andromeda Tonks had been adamant that Harry and Nymphadora use the potions safety container and had ranted for almost five minutes about how irresponsible it was of Hogwarts' Board of Governors to try to keep the expected cost of attendance down by putting students in danger. Harry had learned that prolonged exposure to trace amounts of even the most benevolent potion could be dangerous and was forced to promise to keep his potion supplies in the potions safety container.

Harry decided that he would go downstairs and see if anyone else was awake in the Tonks house and was pleasantly surprised to find that Andromeda was awake and drinking her customary morning cup of tea. The woman who had acted as a surrogate mother for the young boy smiled when she saw him enter the room.

"Good morning, Harry. Did you manage to get any sleep last night?"

"A little, I know that you said to get a good night's sleep but I'm so excited," admitted Harry with a slightly guilty voice.

"You'll be fine, dear. We will be leaving for the station when Nymphadora wakes up. You two will be much earlier than the majority of the other students but I think that you will be much less anxious once we get you to Platform 9 ¾."

Harry smirked when Andromeda referred to her daughter as Nymphadora; the young girl hated her full name and preferred to go by her surname. "Thanks, mum. I just can't wait to begin my training to become a wizard!"

_Flashback_

_Without their noticing it, after all the time that Harry and Nymphadora spent together studying and practicing their metamorphmagi abilities they had begun to slightly alter their regular appearances so that they looked more alike. The two genuinely could not get enough time together and their magic registered this fact by subtly shifting their appearances to resemble each other in their base forms. Harry grew a taller so that he could look directly into Nymphadora's eyes and his unusually messy hair began to rest in a more relaxed manner upon his head so that he didn't permanently look like he had just pulled off a Wronski Feint. Nymphadora's legs grew longer so that her balance was improved and she could more effectively chase Harry when he called her Nymphadora. One day Andromeda came home from work and if it wasn't for the striking difference between Harry's emerald green eyes and Nymphadora's azure blue eyes then it would have been impossible to guess that the pair was not related. Andromeda was greeted by a pair of hugs when she returned home from her job as a healer at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries and she knew that Harry belonged with her family. She greeted the pair by asking how her two precious children were and saw a spark of emotion ignite in Harry's eyes. He hugged her tighter and whispered "Thanks mum", adopting the form of address that Nymphadora used to address her mother._

_End Flashback_

Andromeda smiled again and elegantly raised her chin to look at the ceiling; a thud indicated that Nymphadora had most likely fallen off her bed and would be joining them shortly. Sure enough, the young witch was bounding down the stairs a moment later.

"Good morning, Nymphadora. I was just telling Harry that we would go to the station early so that you two won't have to wait anxiously for the departure. Once you two have breakfast and your father finishes getting ready we will leave."

"Thanks mum! Did you make anything for breakfast?" asked Nymphadora. She saw her mother shake her head to indicate that she had not prepared anything for breakfast and began to get her breakfast. Harry grabbed bowls and spoons as Nymphadora grabbed the cereal and milk in synchronous motions. The pair had no need for words because they spent so much time together that they knew how to anticipate each other's actions. The pair ate their breakfast as if it was their last meal and spared no time for words. In minutes the two had finished their respective meals and ran upstairs to grab their trunks. By the time they made it back to the ground floor Ted Tonks was waiting at the front door with his keys in his hand.

"Did someone have somewhere important to be today? I was just contemplating taking a scenic drive through the country side…"

"No! We need to go to the train station," both children admonished as they played along with Ted's joke.

"Alright, I suppose that I could drop you two off at the station before I take my joy-ride through the country side. Andy, dear, are you ready?"

His wife took one last look at her reflection in the hallway mirror before she replied. Her reflection was, as expected of someone of her up-bringing, pristine. Although she was approaching 40 years old her skin was smooth and she was wrinkle-free. In the eleven years since she had given birth to Nymphadora she had worked hard to regain her figure and would be considered very attractive for a woman her age or even a woman half her age. Her elegant features marked her aristocratic heritage. She had extremely brilliant eyes that were accented by smoky make-up. Her lips were full and the corners were turned upwards in a perpetual smile. Her cheekbones we high and drew even more attention to her face. Her hair flowed down her back in lustrous waves that rippled as she moved. Her figure drew attention wherever she went and she made sure that she always met the world with her head held high. Once she had verified that her appearance was up to par, Andromeda nodded before saying, "Yes, dear. Let's go; I don't think that these two could take much more."

The group made their way to the car and left the Tonks house to go to Kings Cross Station. The journey was uneventful and, luckily for Harry and Nymphadora, went pretty quick. As Andromeda had anticipated they arrived before the majority of the other students so the pair had no trouble finding a compartment on the train after they said their goodbyes to the Tonks parents. In the compartment Harry had taken out his wand and was running through the spells that he remembered from when he read the Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1. To his delight, he was able to perform the majority of the spells without encountering any major difficulty. Nymphadora encountered similar results when she tried and had a theory about why the two of them were able to do magic with such ease even though they were only just using their wands for the first time.

"Harry, think about it. Whenever we use our metamorphmagus powers to change we feel that wave directed toward whatever part of our body that we are trying to change. I bet what we feel is our magic moving across our bodies in order to make the change happen."

Harry nodded his head in agreement and was about to respond when a nervous looking boy clutching a toad walked into the compartment. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop but did you just say that you are a metamorphmagus?"

"Yeah, we both are," Harry answered. "If you agree not to tell anyone we could even show you but we don't want it getting around that we can do this. You never know when you'll need to have an ace up your sleeve."

"I promise that I won't tell anyone. I'm Neville, Neville Longbottom," the slightly pudgy boy said as he extended his hand toward the other two.

Harry took the offered hand. "I'm Harry Potter and this is Nymphadora Tonks, it's good to meet you."

"Yeah, yeah, but you will call me Tonks if you know what's good for you," Tonks added before shaking Neville's hand.

"Er, right," Neville agrees. He had been temporarily stunned when the other boy revealed himself to be Harry Potter. "I heard that you would be coming to Hogwarts this year but you aren't what I expected. Don't take this the wrong way, but I expected that you would be a little full of yourself."

Harry rubbed the back of his head before answering. " I want to be known for what I've actually done, not for something that happened to me as a baby."

"That must be frustrating. I lost my parents too on that night and I don't know what I would do if people constantly reminded me of that," Neville admitted quietly.

Nymphadora felt the awkward silence fall upon the room and chose to break it by getting up and closing the door before changing her appearance to resemble an older woman. "Now you two cheer up right this minute or you will be in detention for the rest of the train ride."

The boys saw the stern look on Nymphadora's face and burst out laughing at her declaration. Harry likewise changed his appearance so that he looked like an old man before he addressed Tonks. "Young lady, if you don't drop the attitude right away then you will be the one in detention."

Neville had been awed by Harry and Tonks' abilities and had stopped paying attention to his toad, which took the opportunity to make an escape. Harry and Tonks agree to help their new friend find his pet and leave their cabin to search the other compartments on the train. Although the pair did not resume their normal appearances they shifted into forms that would draw less attention than Harry's lightning shaped scar. It was their hope that any other students they came across would think that they were professors and assist them in their search. Harry opened the door to one compartment and found a smug looking blonde boy with two large thuggish boys on either side of him.

"What do you want," the blonde boy spat. "I don't recognize either of you from my father's description of the Hogwarts professors. You must be a muggle-born; hogwarts standards must have fallen if they put someone like you in charge of teaching the students."

Harry didn't even bother asking if the ponce and his goons would help him look for the toad. After verifying that the toad had not entered the compartment he closed the door and left the three boys to their own devices. He wasn't positive, but he was pretty sure that he heard the word 'mudblood' as he closed the door and realized that that cabin must have been filled with some of the bigoted pure-blood families that Andromeda had told him about; Harry made a mental note to himself to avoid that kid and his oversized friends in the future.

On the other side of the train, Tonks had come across a set of twin girls who were sharing their compartment with an Asian girl who appeared to be a little bit older than they were. "Hi, have any of you girls seen a toad pass by here?"

The twins look mortified that anyone would actually bring a toad on the train but it was the other girl who answered. "Yeah, it hopped by the compartment a few minutes ago you can probably still catch it if you hurry."

Tonks thanked them before she hurried off in the direction that the other girl indicated. She found Neville in a compartment profusely thanking a bushy, haired girl who had apparently helped him catch his toad. "Thanks again, Hermione. You can come and sit with us in our compartment if you don't want to stay here by yourself."

"Thanks, that would be wonderful," the girl beamed in response.

After the girl grabbed her trunk the group returned to their compartment and had just finished introducing themselves when a slightly exasperated Harry appeared in the doorway. "I hope that you guys had better luck than I did. I didn't see any signs of Neville's toad on that side of the train but I did run into some goons that seem to have bought into that pure-blood nonsense that your mom told us about," said Harry as he glanced at the new face. "Hi, I'm Harry."

"It's nice to meet you Harry, I'm Hermione Granger. A toad hopped into the compartment where I was sitting and I helped Neville capture it." Hermione replied as she cast a furtive smile at Neville.

"Brilliant. So are you a first-year also?" questioned Harry as he reclaimed his seat next to Tonks.

"Yeah, it was such a surprise to find out that magic exists! Both of my parents are dentists and they thought that I was trying to pull one over on them when I told them that I saw an owl pecking at the window carrying a letter. If it wasn't for professor McGonagall then I don't know if they would have allowed me to come to Hogwarts this year," Hermione explained quickly.

"Yeah, when I first found out about magic it was a surprise for me also. My relatives wanted me to believe that magic wasn't real and I probably would have if I had to stay with them any longer than I did," Harry shuddered at the memories that his story evoked before continuing. "Then I met the Tonks family and they opened my eyes to the magic of the world."

Nymphadora smiled at Harry's proclamation. "Now we are competing to see who can become the better Auror. We are basically even when it comes to disguising ourselves so we have been waiting to start at Hogwarts so we can really start using magic. I keep telling Harry that he should give up because there is no way that he could stand up to someone as beautiful and talented as I am but, for some reason, he insists that he will be the better Auror in the future."

Hermione looked a little bit lost and needed some clarification. "You said that you two wanted to be Aurors, what exactly does an Auror do?"

Harry cut off Nymphadora as she began to answer. "Please excuse young _Nymphadora_; she has a tendency to get ahead of herself when she's excited. The Aurors are basically magical policemen."

Nymphadora bumped Harry with her shoulder before sticking her tongue out at him and declaring, "If you know what's good for you, you won't call my Nymphadora. I go by Tonks; I just let Harry get away with calling me that name because my mum would be pretty angry if I did anything to hurt him."

Neville laughed at the banter. "I hope that we all get into the same house, this year would be very interesting if that was to happen. Do you guys have any preferences about which house you get into?"

"Gryffindor or Ravenclaw sounded the best when professor McGonagall was explaining the House virtues to me and my parents," Hermione chimed.

"Yeah, my parents were both Gryffindors so I think that I would probably fit in well there but, really, each house is good in its own way," Harry added.

"Harry is right; there have been plenty of renowned witches and wizards from each of Hogwart's house. His parents were Gryffindors, my dad was a Hufflepuff, my mom was a Slytherin, and I heard that Albus Dumbledore was a Ravenclaw. My mom told me that, 'where you are sorted at Hogwarts isn't what defines you; how you apply yourself after Hogwarts is what determines how successful you will be,'" Nymphadora said while imitating her mother's voice.

"Both of my parents were Gryffindors also and I think that my gran would have a heart attack if I was sorted into any of the other houses, especially Slytherin," admitted Neville. "I think that Tonks made a good point though, if any of the houses were that bad then there is no way that they would still exist at the school."

"Exactly, my mother is a great woman and she was a Slytherin. If it wasn't for You-Know-Who, and the pure-blood supremacists that supported him, then that house wouldn't be thought of in such a poor way now. Anyway, I doubt that I would get into that house; I think that one of the other houses is more likely to be graced by my presence."

Harry wouldn't admit it but the concept of him and Nymphadora being in different houses was very unsettling. He didn't know which house he would be sorted into because he thought that he regularly demonstrated each of the characteristics that the houses valued. His thirst for knowledge drove him to read and study a variety of subjects. His cunning allowed him to walk unnoticed in a train full of his peers that would jump at the chance to meet Harry Potter. His dedication and bravery were proven when he thought of what he would do if anyone tried to mess with Nymphadora. Truly, he could not guess which house he would be sorted into. He had been contemplating his future silently until an older student with bright red hair and a gold letter "P" pinned to his chest knocked on the door and informed the first-years that they would be arriving at Hogwarts shortly and that the group should change into their robes.

The boys stepped into the hall to give the girls privacy to change and were given the same courtesy before the train came to a stop and they heard a voice announce that the Hogwarts Express had arrived at its destination. The group stuck together as they made their way off of the train. Harry stopped in his tracks when he first saw the castle; it was even more splendid than he had imagined. The castle looked like it had been photoshopped onto the Scottish country-side from a dream. Hogwarts castle overlooked a lake that reflected the stars in a way that made it seem as if there were hundreds of lanterns burning beneath its surface and was bordered by a forest that seemed to come alive and rustle of its own accord in the moonlight. The mountains that overlooked the castle from their position beyond the forest only added to the grandeur of the scene and made Hogwarts appear to be even more magical. Harry felt a tug at the sleeve of his arm and hurriedly caught up with his friends as they made their way to a giant man in the mole-skin coat who was shouting, "Firs' years, right this way," as he loaded the first-years into boats in groups of four to cross the lake. Harry, Nymphadora, Neville, and Hermione got to cross the lake together and were chattering quietly as they got out of their boat on the other side of the lake and made their way to the Entrance Hall.

In the Entrance Hall the first-years were huddled together around a stern looking woman in forest green robes and an equally green hat. The woman projected an aura that made it clear that she was not one to be trifled with. The group of boys that Harry had ran into on the train when he was helping Neville search for his toad were close to the stern looking woman. The blonde boy was sneering at any that he deemed inferior while he proclaimed Slytherin house's greatness to any who would listen. Like the professor, the boy appeared to be on the lookout for someone. It was not until Harry heard the stern looking witch mumble, "Come on, Mr. Potter I know that you received your owl and accepted your invitation. Where are you?" that he realized that he realized that he was still concealing his true identity. He ducked behind a suit of armor and resumed his normal appearance before he 'finally' made his way to the group of students that were surrounding the witch.

Minerva McGonagall had prided herself on her ability to keep a level head and adapt fluidly to changing situations throughout her tenure as a Hogwarts professor. However, what she saw had completely surprised her; Albus had told her that alternate housing arrangements had been made for Harry Potter because the situation with his relatives left much to be desired but, no matter how she asked, Albus refused to tell her what these alternate arrangements were. She had delayed the first-years' trip into the Great hall because, even though she would claim to be objective, she needed to make sure that her Godson safely made it to Hogwarts. When she saw the young boy with the lightning-shaped scar walk up to the group she was amazed by how happy and healthy he appeared to be. Although she trusted Dumbledore, part of her had been expecting Harry to be an undersized boy in ill-fitting clothes who had trouble interacting with other people or showing affection.

The Harry that she saw was nothing like that; he appeared to be average size for his age and had a fire that burned bright in his eyes. Minerva McGonagall couldn't help noticing that Harry seemed to gravitate toward a young witch with similar dark hair with eyes that shone as a shade as brilliantly blue as Harry's were exceptionally emerald. Clearing her throat, McGonagall began to speak. "Now that we are all here, welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You may address me as professor McGonagall. Through these doors is the Great Hall; there you will be sorted into one of four houses. The houses are Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, and Slytherin each house values certain traits above others and, consequently, will develop those traits within their students. Hold your head high when you enter the Great Hall; the Sorting Hat will call your name when it's your turn to be sorted. Now, please follow me"

Harry fell into step with the rest of the group as they walked through the large doors that led to the Great Hall. They saw that the students were divided between four tables. Above the tables there were four tapestries showing a snake, a badger, a raven and a lion respectively. The enchanted ceiling gave the students an opportunity to appreciate the beauty of the night and the candles that were magically suspended cast a warm glow upon the room. In between the students walking ahead of him Harry was able to see that professor McGonagall was leading the students to a stool on which sat one of the oldest hats that Harry had ever seen. When professor stopped the group he was amazed when the hop started bouncing about on the stool and singing.

_Oh, you may not think I'm pretty  
but I'm smarter than you'd believe.  
I'll quit my job if you can find  
a more capable sorting hat than me.  
Other hats are fickle friends  
but I'm as charming as can be.  
For, I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
and your personality is what I see.  
There's nothing going through your head  
that can remain invisible to me.  
So try me on and I shall tell you  
with which house you'll find your destiny.  
"You might belong in Gryffindor,  
Where dwell brave of heart,  
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry  
Set Gryffindors apart;  
You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
Where they are just and loyal,  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
And unafraid of toil;  
Or yet wise old Ravenclaw,  
If you've a ready mind,  
Where those of wit and learning,  
Will always find their kind;  
Or perhaps in Slytherin  
You'll make your real friends,  
Those cunning folk use any means  
To achive their ends."  
Put me on! Don't be afraid! Give a hat a chance!  
In the future you'll see the wisdom of my way.  
No need to be awkward, you're in good hands,  
so heed the decisions of this hat today._

Professor McGonagall did not appear to be surprised by the Sorting Hat's song when she stepped next to the stool and called out, "Abbot, Hannah!"

A small girl with brown hair shuffled to the stool and sat down before the professor set the Sorting Hat on her head. The brim of the hat wrinkled back and forth for several seconds before declaring, "Hufflepuff." The table under the tapestry of the badger broke into a polite cheer.

"Bones, Susan," called professor McGonagall causing the cheer to end.

The small blonde girl was glancing nervously toward the Hufflepuff table as professor McGonagall set the Sorting Hat upon her head. The Sorting Hat reacted almost instantly as it cried out, "Hufflepuff." Apparently this is what Susan was hoping because a smile broke out across her face as she made her way to the Hufflepuff table to join her friend.

The next ten minutes passed in a similar way. Lavender Brown and Seamus Finnigan became the first new Gryffindors to a loud applause. Terry Boot, Mandy Brocklehurst, Michael Corner, and Anthony Goldstein were sorted into Ravenclaw. Milicent Bullstrode, Vincent Crabbe, Tracy Davis, and Gregory Goyle joined the Slytherins. The applause that emanated from the Slytherin table seemed exceptionally loud since none of the students in other houses joined in their celebration. Justin Finch-Fletchley joined Hannah Abbot and Susan Bones in Hufflepuff.

Finally, the first of Harry's friends, Hermione Granger was called to be sorted. Hermione quickly walked to the stool and gripped the sides as if she was scared of what the hat might say. When McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on Hermione's head it rocked back and forth for almost as if it was pacing as it contemplated what house would be the best fit for the young witch. As the Sorting Hat took more time to determine where to place the young with the other students became increasingly anxious to determine where the young witch would be placed. After almost two minutes of rocking, the hat became still before bellowing, "Ravenclaw!" The Ravenclaw table erupted in cheers and Hermione was welcomed into her new house.

After being stumped by Hermione the Sorting Hat took no time in sending Daphne Greengrass to Slytherin house. After Daphne, it was Neville's turn to be sorted. The Sorting Hat once again fell silent as it contemplated where to send Neville; after a few seconds it declared Neville to be a Hufflepuff and the young boy walked over to the Hufflepuff table after casting a quick smile to where Hermione was seated at the Ravenclaw table.

The next name called was Ernie Macmillan; the boy was bigger than the majority of the first-years and seemed to be more confident. The Hat had hardly touched his head before it announced that he would be a Gryffindor. After Ernie, professor McGonagall called out, "Malfoy, Draco." The pompous blonde that Harry had run into on the train and saw standing near professor Mcgonagall strode deliberately to the stool and was placed into Slytherin house even faster than Ernie had been placed into Gryffindor. After Draco Malfoy was Lily Moon; she was an average girl with reddish-brown hair who was sorted into Hufflepuff. The next student to be sorted was Theodore Nott and he followed Malfoy to Slytherin house. In a surprising turn of events Padma and Parvati Patil, the twins that Nymphadora encountered on the train, were not sent to the same house; to the amusement of their new houses they were sent to Ravenclaw and Gryffindor respectively. After the Patil twins was a girl with a permanent scowl on her face; Pansy Parkinson made her way to the stool and was quickly sorted into Slytherin house.

The next name made the Hall fall into silence. Professor McGonagall cleared her throat before Harry Potter was called to the stool. The stairs he received as he made his way to be sorted were exactly why he changed his appearance when he went out in public. He heard people whispering as he sat on the stool and couldn't help but thinking how hard he would work so that he felt that he actually deserved his fame.

_So you seek greatness? _asked a voice within Harry's mind, that Harry assumed to be the Sorting Hat.

_I already have greatness; I want to be recognized for being myself instead of "the Boy-Who-Lived" like all of these people believe me to be._ Harry replied hesitantly.

_Slytherin would help you on the way to greatness. Although, it should be noted that, with the combination of bravery, loyalty, cunning and intelligence that you possess you could find greatness as a member of any of Hogwarts' houses. _The voice mused as Harry found himself involuntarily recalling different moments of his life. An image of Nymphadora flashed before Harry's eyes. _Oh, what's this? I spoke the truth when I said that you could find greatness as a member of any of Hogwarts' houses. Your greatness would know no equal if you became a Slytherin but you could not have that kind of greatness and have the girl as well._

_I don't care about greatness! I won't let anything happen to Nymphadora! _Harry mentally shouted at the Sorting Hat.

_Very well, if you're sure then it better be_ "Hufflepuff!" shouted the Sorting Hat. The Great Hall broke into a roar that made the cheers for the other students seem paltry and insignificant. Harry made his way over to the Hufflepuff table and sat next to Neville. The pair grinned at each other and waited for Nymphadora to be sorted. Dean Thomas was sent to join the Gryffindors before it was Nymphadora Tonk's turn. She calmly made her way to the stool and sat down. The hat didn't take long in deciding that Nymphadora Tonks was a Hufflepuff. She happily skipped to the Hufflepuff table and joined Harry and Neville.

The rest of the sorting passed quickly. Ron Weasley was the last student sorted into Gryffindor, Lisa Turpin was sent to the table of Ravenclaw, and Zacharias Smith and Blaise Zabini were sorted into Slytherin. From his podium behind the stool where the sorting hat had taken place sat the headmaster of Hogwarts and the other professors. After waving her wand and making the stool and Sorting Hat disappear, professor McGonagall assumed the spot at the old wizard's right side. The old wizard's silver hair shimmered in the candle light and he drew the attention of everyone in the room by simply raising his arms as he stood to address the students.

"Although the results of the Sorting Ceremony are, indeed, very interesting I'm afraid that I must delay the start of the feast for a little longer as I go over some of our pre-term announcements. First of all, my name is Albus Dumbledore, I'm the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It is my desire to see each and every one of you succeed within these walls and in the future once you move on to your next great adventure. I, along with the rest of the staff, am dedicated to helping you succeed; if you ever need help merely ask and we will do all that we can to assist you. Now, onto slightly more pressing announcements, the Third Floor Corridor will be out of bounds this year as renovations are in progress to improve its safety. Any student caught in this area will be severely punished for knowingly putting themselves in danger. Additionally, the Forbidden Forest is just that, forbidden. There are dangerous creatures in the forest that could very easily overwhelm an unprepared witch or wizard. On to a more pleasant subject; classes will start in the morning and your head of house will have your schedules available for you when you wake. That's enough for now, welcome to Hogwarts! I hope that you will enjoy your time here!"

Harry was sitting in between Neville and Nymphadora when Dumbledore began speaking. Several times throughout the speech Harry felt Dumbledore's gaze fall upon him and Harry had a feeling that the older wizard would seek him out in the future. Before Harry could begin to work out why the headmaster would want to speak with him, the older man clapped his hands and a bountiful feast appeared before the students on their tables. The feast was lovely and each student ate more than their fill by the time the Hufflepuff prefect announced that he would lead the first-years to the Hufflepuff common room. The trip was quick from the Great Hall and after a saying good night to one another Harry and Nymphadora went to their dormitories and fell asleep, each would dream about the adventures that they would have over the coming years and wake in the morning with a smile on their face.


	3. First Day Experience

**Chapter 3: First Day Experience**

**AN: Thanks to all who have reviewed, favorite, and followed this story so far. I cannot express in words how much joy it brings me when I receive the notification saying that I have gotten a new review so please keep it up!**

**AN2: This chapter has been edited**

* * *

**AWitP: First Day Experience**

After spending half of his life living with Andromeda, Nymphadora, and Ted Tonks at their house, Harry was slightly confused by the unfamiliar room where he woke up. Instead of seeing his room, his desk covered by the books that had most recently caught his attention, his things all in their meticulously set positions, or the magical picture of him standing with the Tonks family and smiling while waving happily, Harry was in a large stony room. The room was very welcoming, despite being completely stone. Although there were no windows, because the room was underground, the walls had been bewitched so that they displayed the Black Lake, the Forbidden Forest, and the sprawling grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Harry used his elbows to pull himself into a reclining position that allowed him to look at the other two beds in the room. The beds had been charmed so that the curtains surrounding the four-poster bed remained magically sealed while the occupant slept; the drawn curtains on the other two beds in the room told Harry that his roommates had not yet woken. Due to his inquisitive nature Harry was not content to spend his morning reclining in his bed. After getting dressed Harry left his dormitory and walked through corridors that separated the first-year sleeping quarters from the Hufflepuff common room. Harry was not surprised to find the Hufflepuff head of house, Pamona Sprout, sitting in one of the overstuffed chairs near the fireplace.

"Good morning, professor," greeted Harry as he walked over to the portly woman. Although Pamona Sprout was a slightly more round than average she was of average height and had a benevolent nature. She had made it clear to her first-years that she would always be there for them and would do her best to make sure that they all succeeded. Harry felt comfortable around the woman and was genuinely happy to see her in the common room.

"Good morning, Harry," his head of house replied as she got up and walked over to a table that was covered in parchment. She picked up the first of seven piles and ruffled through it for several minutes before pulling one out and presenting it to Harry. "Here you go, that will be your schedule. Look it over and let me know if you have any questions."

Harry looked over his schedule and smiled as he read.

_Hufflepuff First-year Schedule__: _

_7:00am-9:15am Breakfast Served_

_9:30am-10:15am Transfiguration-Gryffindor_

_10:30am-11:15pm Potion- Slytherin _

_11:30am: 12:15pm Charms-Ravenclaw_

_12:30pm-1:45pm Lunch _

_2:00pm-3:15pm Defense Against the Dark Arts-Gryffindor _

_3:30pm-4:45pm Herbology-Ravenclaw MW*_

_3:30pm-4:45pm Care of Magical Creatures-Slytherin TTh*_

_5:00pm-7:15pm House Study_

_7:30pm-9:30pm Dinner Served_

_*Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures classes begin the second week of the term_

"I don't have any problems with the schedule, professor, but the classrooms aren't listed on the schedule. How will we be able to find the rooms?" Harry asked earnestly.

Harry's head of house chuckled before answering. "I have placed a charm on the schedule that will give you step-by-step directions from your position to your classroom if you place the tip of your wand on the name of the class that you wish to go to and say 'Revela.'" The Hufflepuff then placed her wand onto the word 'Transfiguration' before muttering "Revela." As she promised, turn-by-turn directions appeared and separated the 'Transfiguration' block from the 'Charms' block.

"Thank you professor!" exclaimed Harry with a very pleased look on his face.

"You're very welcome Harry. Now, be sure to work very hard in your classes and make your house proud."

"I'll do that, professor. I'm in a competition with Nymphadora Tonks to become the best Auror and I can't let her win."

"That's the spirit. I wish both of you the best of luck. If you prove yourself to be exemplary in your currently scheduled classes then you may be eligible for additional instruction."

"Thank you professor," Harry gushed. "I've been waiting so long to be able to practice magic. I can't wait for classes to start!"

"That's what I like to hear from my badgers. Get settled into your new schedule and we can consider those additional lessons once we are sure that they won't adversely affect your classroom performance."

"They won't, they won't!"

"Very well, Harry. Breakfast will be served until 9:15am; be sure to go down and get yourself a good breakfast. It's important to have a good breakfast if you want to perform your best throughout the day."

"I will, professor. I'll see you later professor," Harry said as he made his way to the door that separated the Hufflepuff common room from the rest of the castle with his schedule rolled in his hand. The castle's halls were mostly empty and Harry did not encounter anyone as he made his way through the corridor to the stairs that would take him up to the ground floor of Hogwarts castle. However, on the ground floor was an older trio of girls that Harry remembered seeing at the Gryffindor table the day before. All of the girls were taller than Harry, but not by much. The one standing closest to the door was the tallest of the three. She had brown hair that fell in waves down her back and framed her face like a mane. She had dark brown eyes and long eyelashes that she unwittingly batted as she spoke with her friends. The girl standing across from the brown haired girl was a sandy blonde with blue eyes that were filled with energy. The smirk on her face projected her self-confidence, as did her posture. The third girl was a blonde; she was the shortest of the three and had a reddish tone to her otherwise golden hair. Harry couldn't see her face but imagined that she would have hazel eyes and a radiant smile. The girls were chatting animatedly but stopped when they realized that they were no longer alone.

"Well, well, well. Look who we have here," the brunette said as she moved away from her friends and moved toward Harry. "Caused quite a stir yesterday, you did. We had heard that you would be coming to Hogwarts and figured you for a lion."

"Way to cut right to the chase there. Please excuse my friend. I'm Alicia Spinnet, Katie Bell is my friend here," said the girl with sandy-brown hair as she indicated the girl who first approached Harry. "This is our other friend, Angelina Johnson."

The third girl also moved to stand in front of Harry. Harry was surprised that his guess was correct; Angelina did have hazel eyes. Realizing that he had been staring at Angelina, Harry started to blush. The girls saw Harry begin to blush and moved closer and, consequently, Harry began to blush more profusely.

"Aw, it's so cute. We're making the ickle first-year blush," Katie said with a grin on her face.

"You know, it's too bad that you weren't sorted into Gryffindor; we were looking forward to spending the next few years getting to know you," Alicia said with a wink.

"Yeah, Hufflepuff definitely lucked out by getting you. Imagine all the fun the four of us could have had, locked in Gryffindor tower together," said Angelina, joining in with her friends.

"Er," Harry stammered. He had not been prepared for an interaction like this and didn't know how to respond. Luckily, Harry didn't have to respond because he heard someone clearing their throat behind him. The sound shifted the attention off of Harry and onto the most recent arrival.

"Harry, you didn't wait for me to go to breakfast this morning AND you try to replace me with these girls? I'm hurt," Nymphadora said as she moved to stand next to Harry while staring at the trio of Gryffindor girls.

"Harry, don't you want to introduce us to your friend?" asked Alicia in a playful tone.

"Oh, er, yeah. Alicia, Katie, Angelina this is Tonks." Harry said while indicating the respective girls. "She is my best friend in the whole wide world."

Harry saw Nymphadora smile out of the corner of his eye at his declaration. He assumed that she was also smiling because he didn't introduce her as Nymphadora but couldn't be certain.

"Best friend in the whole, wide world, eh?" Angelina asked. "I bet that you are going to have the ladies lining up for that role in the future."

"Well they will just have to get in line because I'm not moving," stated Nymphadora boldly.

"Ah, young love," teased Katie causing Harry and Nymphadora to blush. "Alright girls, let's leave these two lovebirds and get some breakfast. All this flirting has worked up an appetite."

The other girls agreed and the trio made their way to the Gryffindor table. Harry and Nymphadora did not make eye contact as they walked through the Great Hall to the Hufflepuff table. Once they sat down Harry's embarrassment had dropped enough that he could begin speaking to Nymphadora again.

"I talked to professor Sprout this morning and she told me that once we get used to our class schedule she would be willing to teach us more magic when we're free in the evenings."

"That's great! This year is going to be wicked," Nymphadora declared. "You know that I'm still going to be a better Auror than you in the future, right?"

Harry reached his arm out and put his hand on Nymphadora's forehead causing her to look at him in confusion. He appeared to ponder for a moment before he replied. "That's strange, you don't have a fever I wonder what is causing you to be so delusional."

Nymphadora batted Harry's hand away. "We'll see who's delusional when I master all of the spells before you today in class!"

Harry accepted Nymphadora's jibe by sticking his tongue out at her and changing it so that it flickered like a snake's. This caused Nymphadora to laugh and the two fell into an amicable silence as food appeared on the table. As they ate, the young witches and wizards who elected to sleep in gradually made their way into the Great Hall. About halfway through the breakfast period, Neville Longbottom walked in followed by Hannah Abbot and Susan Bones. The three young Hufflepuffs slowly made their way through the Great Hall and sat next to Harry and Nymphadora. After saying their greetings the subject turned to the Hufflepuff class schedule.

"We didn't get very lucky with our class schedule," said Susan. "From what my aunt told me, any class with Slytherin can be a pain but Potions with Slytherin is the absolute worst combination. Not only will we have to put up with the usual Slytherin haughtiness but you would also have to worry about professor Snape, the head of Slytherin house. From what I've heard about him from the older students, he plays favorites and deducts points from non-Slytherin students for no reason."

"Well, hopefully, we won't have to experience that combination again next year. I hear that the only thing more irritating than a Slytherin in a Potions class is a Ravenclaw in a Charms class," chimed Hannah.

"I, for one, am very excited for our transfiguration class. Harry and I want to become Aurors and have spent a lot of time looking into the ways that Transfiguration can be applied in the real world," stated Nymphadora as she looked over her schedule again.

"Yeah, Tonks and I expect to be top of the class when we finally get to human Transfiguration," added Harry.

Neville snorted at Harry's statement before agreeing that the two of them would have no problem topping the subject. "I hope that I don't slow you guys down, I didn't even have my first bout of accidental magic until I was nine; my family thought that I may be a squib."

"Don't worry, Neville. We won't let you fall behind; we're Hufflepuffs and we stick together," assured Harry. "Plus we are all first years so we are basically on even footing magically speaking. I read that your magical core doesn't settle until you're seventeen, that's why they make you wait to get your Apparition license."

"Thanks Harry. I'm going to do my best to make my gran proud of me," replied Neville as he adopted a determined look.

"Wotcher! That's the spirit, Neville," Nymphadora said as she patted the young Hufflepuff on the back. "I'm sure that you'll do fine."

While the young Hufflepuffs were talking, another group of students had crossed the Great Hall to speak to them.

"You shouldn't get the squib's hopes up; he won't amount to much. I, on the other hand, am going places and, if you stand with me then you will be able to go places also. I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy. I can help you make friends with the right sort of people."

Draco Malfoy's introduction and insult went over very poorly with the group of Hufflepuffs. Harry frowned as he looked at the arrogant blonde that he had seen on the train and the two large gorilla-like boys that stood on either side of him, as if they considered themselves the blonde's personal body guards. "Well, Malfoy how about you _go_ back to your table. No one here wants or needs your help with anything."

"You're making a mistake, Potter, by choosing these blood traitors and the squib over a pure-blood like me. I'll make the offer one last time; join me Potter or face the consequences."

"Don't threaten Harry, Malfoy. You aren't half the wizard that Harry is!" shouted Nymphadora.

"Stay out of this, blood-traitor. No one cares what an exiled half-blood like you thinks," sneered Draco.

Harry had to put an arm in front of Nymphadora to prevent her from physically attacking the young Slytherin. "She is my friend and if you knew anything about me then you would know that I would never turn on them by throwing in my lot with someone like you. You have over stayed your welcome, Malfoy. Go and take your bad attitude and ultimatums with you. I have real friends and don't need anything from a goon like you."

"You'll get yours, Potter. Crabbe, Goyle let's leave Potter to his crew of losers," Draco said while sweeping his hand to indicate that the group should return to the Slytherin table. "Everyone knows that Hufflepuff is the house for rejects and people who aren't good enough for the other houses of Hogwarts."

"I've always hated that kid," deadpanned Neville. "He thinks he is so high and mighty because his father is in the ministry."

"Yeah, it will be interesting to see how he does in classes. I bet he is all talk," Nymphadora hypothesized. "I'm sure that Harry and I are already better at magic than him and in no time you all will be too."

"That kid has some nerve, coming over here and insulting Neville and Hufflepuff like that. I would rather give up magic entirely than be associated with someone like him," Harry said while looking at his fellow first-years. "Anyway, we should get going to our Transfiguration class; we don't want to be late on the first day."

The other Hufflepuffs nodded in agreement as Harry took out his class schedule, pointed his wand at the word 'Transfiguration,' and said "Revela" to make the turn-by-turn directions appear on the parchment. Apparently professor Sprout did not show the other first-years the trick to make the directions appear on the parchment and, because of this, they were fascinated by Harry's display of magic. As the group made their way through the castle Neville was very quiet until he broke out of his silence.

"I still don't understand why professor Sprout wouldn't show all of us how to call up the directions on our schedules," Neville said in a puzzled voice.

"Think about it," responded Nymphadora. "We are now members of Hufflepuff home of the determined. I bet that professor Sprout was rewarding Harry for waking up early when he could have been a lazy bum and slept in."

Harry nodded in agreement as he thought about the head of Hufflepuff. "She seems to take the virtues of Hufflepuff very seriously. I wouldn't be surprised if Nymph was right about this."

"It sounds like we are going to have to dedicate ourselves in the future to make sure that we don't miss out on any other rewards that may be hidden to encourage hard work," said Susan.

"In the spirit of loyalty, whenever any of us learn something like that spell in the future we should share the knowledge," Hannah suggested.

"Great idea, Susan," agreed Nymphadora. "What is the point of being in the house of hard work, determination, and loyalty if we aren't loyal to one another?"

The group arrived at the Transfiguration classroom and were surprised that professor McGonagall was nowhere to be found. From what the group had seen of the Transfiguration professor they surmised that she took her job very seriously; thus, the Scottish woman's tardiness caught the students by surprise. By 9:30am all of the seats in the room had been filled except for two. The specified start time came and went and the only change that occurred in the room was that the cat that had been sitting on the professor's desk began pacing while stopping every thirty seconds or so to look at the clock. At 9:34am the door to the Transfiguration room opened and a red haired boy rushed into the classroom followed by a dark-skinned boy who had an irritated look on his face.

"Thanks for making me late, Ron," the dark-skinned boy said as he slid into the vacant seat next to his fellow Gryffindor.

"Dean, I know that I sometimes snore at night but you are really blowing things out of proportions. Plus, McGonagall is not even here; no harm, no foul," the red haired Gryffindor said to his roommate.

"Whatever, Weasley, just be sure that you ask McGonagall to reinforce the silencing charm around your bed. If we have to be roommates then I won't be kept up every night by what sounds like a dying animal."

The boys were so wrapped up in their conversation that they failed to notice that the cat, which had been pacing on the professor's desk, had made its way to their table. In one smooth leap, the cat moved from the floor onto their table and hissed at the boys, making them fall silent, before it turned toward the center aisle that divided the room and, as it jumped, transformed into Minerva McGonagall. The professor adjusted her glasses as she turned to face the two Gryffindor boys.

"Mr. Weasley, Mr. Thomas tardiness will not be tolerated in this class. Five points from Gryffindor for your unacceptable behavior and let this be a lesson to you," the Transfiguration admonished. "Thank you to everyone who was able to make it here on time and welcome to Transfiguration. In this class we will use magic to change the forms of objects. Whether you want to make a surface change, like making a red sock appear blue, or a more complex change, like the one that I just showed you, you can do it through Transfiguration. Before you ask, you will not be ready for human Transfiguration until your magical cores settle down much more thus we won't approach the subject until your fourth year. In this class period I want to determine if any of you have an affinity for the subject; you will each be given a match and, by the end of class, it is my hope that some of you will manage to Transfigure that match into a needle."

As professor McGonagall finished speaking she raised her wand and matches levitated from her desk; the matches appeared to dance through the air before separating and landing in front of students. When the professor verified that each of her students had two matches she resumed her speech. "The incantation is 'Cambia' and the suffix is 'Fosforo Hacia Aguja' but if you do the spell correctly you will eventually not need to use the suffix in order to get the desired results. If you will each take out your wands I will show you the wand movements which, like the suffix are only needed until you become more comfortable channeling your magic."

There was an enthusiastic rustle as the young witches and wizards each pulled out their wands. Professor McGonagall waited until each of her students had their wand drawn before continuing. "Alright, there will be no words while we go through the wand movements. Also take care to be very precise with your movement; I will not stand for my students being harmed due to careless wand-handling. Now, watch my wand. I begin with my wand parallel to the ground then make a full counter-clockwise rotation for the 'cambia' portion of the spell. Then there is an upward flick, a swish to the right, followed by a downward flick; each motion is very small and coincides directly with the three syllables of the word 'Fosforo.' Immediately after you finish your downward flick you have a quick left swish of your wand, an upward flick and a downward, diagonal slash to the right that correlates with the word 'Hacia.' Finally, you make a horizontal slash to the left followed by an upward, diagonal slash to the right while saying 'Aguja.' If you do the wand movements correctly then your wand should never move more than four inches from its initial position. Watch as I cast the spell." Professor McGonagall lifted a match into the air for the class to see then, using the motions that she just described, transformed the match into a needle. "You may begin."

Harry and Nymphadora smiled at each other. "Sorry Nymph but I'm going to have to beat you at this said Harry as he aimed his wand at his needle."

"Oh, yeah?" Nymphadora challenged. "Let's try at the same time and whoever gets the better results wins."

"You're on," said Harry as he moved his match so that it was about a foot away from Nymphadora's. "On three, are you ready?" He saw Nymphadora nod and began a countdown. "Three, two, one, go!"

"Cambia Fosforo Hacia Aguja," intoned the pair at once. They were not surprised when they felt the familiar surge of magic that usually accompanied one of their metamorphmagus transformations. The only thing that made Transfiguring the matches different than changing their bodies is that they had to adjust the focus of their desire; instead of desiring for their bodies to change they had to desire that the matches change into needles. To their delight, both children managed to succeed on their first attempts.

Professor McGonagall had been walking the room and watched the competition that had just taken place. Both children successfully applied the Transfiguration spell with ease and Minerva could find no faults in the needles that they had created. "Five points to Hufflepuff for outstanding application of the 'Cambia' Transfiguration by Mr. Potter and Miss Tonks. Perhaps one of you would be willing to explain how you were able to make the change happen so quickly to the other students?"

"I can do that, professor," Nymphadora replied after looking at a slightly apprehensive Harry. "Instead of getting caught up on the wand motions and forgetting why I was doing the spell, I desired that the match become a needle and my magic responded."

"Excellent answer, Miss Tonks. Take another five points for Hufflepuff house, for your explanation. Everyone should take note that your intentions are very important when casting a spell; although the words and wand movements are important, your intentions are what your magic responds to," explained professor McGonagall.

After the explanation most of the students managed to either completely or partially Transfigure their matches into needles. With only five minutes left before the end of class, the only people who had failed to get any results were Neville Longbottom and Ron Weasley. Harry, Nymphadora, Susan, and Hannah were all trying to help Neville get the spell down before the end of class, leaving the Gryffindors to help the tardy red-head succeed in casting the spell. Ron became frustrated by the spell and began to move his wand in a way that was nothing like the professor described. He managed to make his match turn a silver color and, emboldened by his success, took his match to Neville's table so that he could show the others his magical prowess.

"This spell is easy, anyone can do it. Just watch," the young Gryffindor said as he stuck his match down on the table near Neville's match. "Cambia Fosforo Hacia Aguda," the boy mispronounced the incantation. The erratic motions that the mispronounced spell were coupled with did not produce the desired results. Instead there was a bolt of light that shot toward Neville's wand causing a sharp crack as the wand snapped into two sharp pieces.

" What did I say at the beginning of the class? You failed to follow my instructions, damaged another student's property, and could have harmed your fellow class mates. You will serve detention with the care-taker, Argus Filch, tomorrow night; he will collect you from the Great Hall at seven o'clock sharp so be sure to eat your fill before then because you won't be returning to the Great Hall for second helpings."

The Weasley boy turned beet-red after professor McGonagall sentenced him to a shortened meal and detention. The boy's protests fell on deaf ears as professor McGonagall dismissed the class early. Neville had not moved from the spot where his wand had been broken; the young boy simply stood there clutching the pieces of wood that would no longer function as a wand. Tears threatened to spill from Neville's eyes and he looked away from his friends, who had stayed with him.

Neville sniffled before he explained what was bothering him. "That wand was my dad's; it was one of the only things that I had to remember him by. My gran wanted me to have it so that I could grow to be strong, just like him. Now that will never happen!"

Harry empathized with his friend. As a boy Harry had wished for something that would connect him to his parents but he had nothing. If he had anything of his parents then he would be incredibly distraught if someone carelessly broke it also. "Don't worry, Neville. You can get a new wand and use the memory of this wand to inspire yourself to work your hardest to become the best wizard that you can be. I'm sure that your parents wouldn't want you to become so upset about losing that wand that you let yourself fall behind in your classes."

Nymphadora nodded at Harry's words. "Harry is right Neville. You can always keep and cherish the pieces of your dad's wand but you shouldn't use not having that wand as an excuse for not trying to become the best wizard that you can be. If your dad was still using his wand then he wouldn't expect you to go wandless; he would get you a wand of your own."

Susan and Hannah stepped to Neville's sides and rubbed his back in a consoling manner as they offered their support. Neville was still upset but he knew that his friends were right; he would have to move on with his life and do the best he could until he could get a new wand.

Professor McGonagall was not unsympathetic to the plight of her student and resolved to speak with the headmaster in order to acquire special permission to take Neville to Diagon Alley to get a new wand. She couldn't help but suspect that the reason that Neville had such difficulty with the Transfiguration was because his father's wand did not suit him; everyone knows that the wand chooses the wizard. If Augusta Longbottom thought that she was doing Neville a favor by forcing him to use an incompatible wand then it was a blessing that the young Weasley managed to destroy it in a manner that did not result in anyone getting hurt before shoddy work began to affect Neville's confidence.

"Mr. Longbottom, rest assured that your wand will be replaced. If you wish we will refrain from mentioning that your father's wand was snapped to your grandmother and show you a glamour charm that you can cast on your new wand so that under light inspection it will pass for your father's wand," offered professor McGonagall.

Neville was at a loss for words. He had been so disappointed that his wand was destroyed that he didn't stop to consider how his grandmother would react when she found out. The young Hufflepuff visibly paled before nodding his head at the professor's offer.

"Very well, we will go today at 12:30pm during the lunch break. If you are not waiting for me in the Entrance Hall then you will have to wait until the next time that one of the professors is able and willing to escort you to Diagon Ally," professor McGonagall stated when she came to the conclusion that it would be better to ask for Dumbledore's forgiveness later than force the young Hufflepuff to spend his first week at Hogwarts without a wand.

Neville still had not found the words to express his gratitude toward the Transfiguration professor so he merely shook his head dumbly.

The professor smiled at the son of two of her favorite students. Fate had not been kind to the boy, replacing his wand was the least that she could do. She bustled over to her desk and scribbled a note to Filius Flitwick excusing Neville from his first Charms lesson. "Neville, take this note to professor Flitwick and you will be excused from your Charms lesson. In its place, I want you to spend the time writing out each of the changes that would have to occur in a match in order for that match to become a needle."

Neville was not thrilled by the concept of extra work but felt that it would be best to comply with his professor's wishes. After nodding again, in agreement, Neville looked away from the stern professor to where his friends had been standing. Harry, Nymphadora, Hannah, and Susan were gone. Neville's face became slightly panicked until he heard someone shout "Harry" in the hall and realized that they were waiting for him outside of the room. "Thank you professor," he mumbled as he shifted toward the door.

"You are very welcome, Mr. Longbottom. You could consider yourself and your friend Mr. Potter to be honorary Gryffindors. I knew your parents and my door will always be open to either of you; please share that knowledge with Mr. Potter. I will meet you in the Entrance Hall at 12:30 sharp. Until then, good day, Mr. Longbottom."

Harry had refrained from using the "Revela" spell to make the directions appear on his map from the Transfiguration classroom to the Potions classroom, much to the chagrin of Nymphadora Tonks. The young wizard insisted that the group would have plenty of time to make it to their next class and that they should wait for Neville. Nymphadora argued that they should at least know how far away the next classroom was from their current position but Harry was resolute. Hannah and Susan were content to watch the two dark haired friends argue with one another, it was quite the spectacle.

After a short while Neville appeared with a note in his hand and Harry used the Revela spell to show the directions to the next classroom. With as much haste as the group could muster, they made their way to one of Hogwarts' dungeons where the Potions classes were held. Although the group had made it on time, which Harry pointed out several times, it was 10:28am when they arrived at the classroom, which Nymphadora pointed out several times. When the group entered the room they found that most of the tables had been occupied; Susan and Hannah were the first two to enter and were able to get a table together the other three Hufflepuffs were not so fortunate. Harry took a seat next to a very prim, blonde girl, Nymphadora found a seat next to Justin Finch-Fletchley, and Neville sat next to the very quiet Lily Moon.

"Hi, I'm Harry," Harry introduced himself while extending his hand.

The girl looked at his hand before rolling her eyes. "I'm Daphne Greengrass."

"Er, hi Daphne. I just wanted to make sure that we knew each other in case we had to work together this class period."

"Your intentions are noted. However, since this is the first Potions class I think it very likely that we will have to brew something individually as an assessment of our individual abilities."

"That is probably true, in Transfiguration…" Harry began but was cut off by a snarl.

"Silence," said a tall man with slicked back hair and a hook nose who was striding down the aisle to the front of the room. He was dressed completely in black and his dark robes made his presence that much more intimidating to the young students. "I am Hogwarts' Potions Master, Professor Snape. You have just entered into what will, undoubtedly, be one of the most important classes of your lives. In your other classes there will be large margins of error that will still give you acceptable results; in Potions the smallest mistake can turn your creations against you in the most horrific ways. It is unlikely that many of you will be truly gifted in the art of brewing, but, for those of you who are, I can teach you to ""brew fame, bottle glory, and even put a stopper in death."" These lessons are not for the fool-hardy and if you do not possess what it takes to adjust to the fine art of potion brewing then you will find this class to be a very unenjoyable experience."

Harry felt a strange animosity directed at him while the Potions Master spoke. Harry almost felt as if the speech had been tailored specifically to discourage people from attempting to pursue careers that required advanced knowledge and ability in the subject. Luckily Harry and Nymphadora had spent hours studying potions and had even been allowed to brew some of the more simple potions. Nymphadora's mother, Andromeda, had obtained her initial position at St. Mungos Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries due to her potion making abilities. She had quizzed Harry and Nymphadora and Harry regularly on potions and potion ingredients and also taught them how to avoid the common pitfalls that most inexperienced potion makers fall into.

Thus not only did Harry know the dangers of cross-contaminating his potions and potion ingredients but he was also prepared when the Hogwarts' Potions Master put him on the spot with the following question: "Mr. Potter, can you tell me what ingredients I would need to mix in order to create the Draught of Living Death?"

_Flashback_

_Harry and Nymphadora were in the Tonks family library, practicing their metamorphmagus transformations, when Andromeda rushed downstairs to embrace the two children. Andromeda told the children that she had just gotten home from work and had been upset about a patient that she had to treat; a teenage boy had been reckless on his broom and, because of his youthful exuberance, tried to perform a move that was beyond his ability. He almost succeeded in performing the maneuver but lost control of his broom at the last second and crashed to the ground. The majority of his bones had been broken immediately upon impact but, miraculously the boy had clung to consciousness long enough to signal to his friend that had been flying with him. The friend went to his injured comrade and was able to call for his house elf to get a potion that would put the injured boy into a stasis where his condition would not be able to degenerate any further: the Draught of Living Death._

"_But mother, how would something with a name like that be able to help anyone?" Nymphadora asked._

"_Nymphadora, my dear, the Draught of Living Death is made by blending powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood. Individually, both of the ingredients are usually fatal if consumed individually but, when they are combined in just the right way, they form a miraculous potion that puts the drinker into a death-like sleep during which all of the body processes slow to the point that they are essentially standing still."_

"_That's so cool," Harry exclaimed. "Are there other potions like that?"_

_Andromeda laughed at Harry's eagerness. "Oh Harry, most potions function that way. Almost all healing potions require ingredients that individually are harmful. The beauty is that, with Potions, even the most deadly ingredient can be used to help people."_

_Harry and Nymphadora smiled at one another as both thought about how they would help the magical world as Aurors._

_End Flashback_

"Mr. Potter, perhaps your celebrity is undeserved, after all, if you cannot answer such a simple question," taunted the Potions Master.

"I'm sorry, professor," said Harry causing a superior smirk to smirk on the bat-like man's face. "In order to make the Draught of Living Death one would have to mix powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood."

The bat-like professor's smirk dropped into a frown. "If you were going to attempt to make the Wolfsbane Potion but you only had access to aconite or monkshood herbs what would you do?"

Harry thought about the books that he had read that mentioned the Wolfsbane Potion. Due to how recently it was developed, the Tonks family did not have many books detailing the potion's ingredients. "If I had access to monkshood I could use that in the place of wolfsbane. I don't recall ever hearing of aconite, though."

The superior smirk returned to professor Snape's face as Harry concluded his answer. "Well, five points from Hufflepuff for not being prepared for class. Aconite is the third name used to refer to the wolfsbane herb. Perhaps you should spend more time studying and less time seeking fame."

Harry was incredulous that the professor had singled him out in such a manner but apparently professor Snape had been waiting for him to miss a question because the Potions Master wrote the words 'Wiggenweld Potion' on the board before turning to address the class again.

"Your homework will be to research the Wiggenweld Potion, next class period I will test how thoroughly you have done the assignment. I would strongly advise that you dedicate sufficient time to this assignment, you will find that if you try to get by with the bare minimum in this class then the result can be quite… explosive. That is all for today, you are all dismissed."

Although some of the Slytherins stayed to speak with their head of house, all of the Hufflepuffs exited the room in a hurry. Harry, Nymphadora, Neville, Susan, and Hannah met outside the classroom and were talking about the different places where they could find information on the Wiggenweld Potion. After the cold way that Daphne Greengrass had responded to Harry's introduction he expected that he would be in for a quiet year in Potions with the exception of Snape's taunts. So he was pleasantly surprised when Daphne wished him a good day as she bristled past when leaving the Potions classroom. The other Hufflepuffs merely looked at Harry in surprise causing him to shrug his shoulders before using the "Revela" spell and leading the group to the Charms classroom.

At the front of the Charms classroom was an exceedingly small man with extremely sharp features and tufts of hair protruding from his ears and nostrils. Although his appearance was very strange the small wizard appeared to be chatting amicably with the students who arrived early enough to sit in the front of the class. Harry and his friends were able to find seats next to each other; they sat behind a mass of bushy, brown hair that Harry, Nymphadora, and Neville recognized from the train.

"Hermione, it's good to see you. How is life as a Ravenclaw going?" asked Nymphadora.

Hermione turned around to see who was addressing her and smiled when she saw the three Hufflepuffs that she befriended on the train. "Hello, Nymphadora. I was looking forward to seeing you all in the classes that Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw share. Our common room is amazing. I would go in depth but the details are considered a house secret and we have been warned not to tell. I'm sure that each house has a very nice common room and its own secrets, though."

"Yeah, our house is nice too," agreed Harry. "I think that any of the houses would have been acceptable as long as we are allowed to learn magic."

"I completely agree. Anyway, how have your classes been?" questioned Hermione. "It seems that the professors will hold us to high standards; I would hate to let them down."

"Classes have gone well. Finding them would have been tricky if not for the way that Professor Sprout charmed our schedules," answered Nymphadora.

"My wand was broken in Transfiguration, last period, so professor McGonagall gave me a note for professor Flitwick that excuses me from class. Even though she can be a bit intimidating, she is really nice. She even said that she would take me to get a new wand during the lunch period, today," Nevilled mumbled, adding on to Nymphadora's explanation of how classes had gone so far before walking up to the small professor to deliver professor McGonagall's note.

'That's an extremely unlucky thing to happen on the first day of class," declared Hermione. "However, it's good to see that the professors genuinely want to help the students."

Harry scoffed in indignation as he remembered how Snape had interrogated him during Potions class.

"What's that, Harry?" inquired Hermione.

Harry remained silent and Nymphadora answered for him. "Professor Snape was every bit as vile as rumors have made him out to be."

Hermione hesitated at her classmate's statement allowing Susan to chime in with her opinion. "It's true that Snape's treatment of Harry was a little harsh but it was obvious that he was very passionate about his subject. I think that if you treat his subject with the same reverence that he treats it then he will probably not trouble you."

Hannah just stuck her tongue out at Harry before she jokingly added her two cents to the conversation. "Harry's just special."

Harry was not given a chance to reply because the small wizard tapped his wand on his podium creating a resonating sound similar to a gavel. The class fell silent and the small teacher began to speak. "Hello class, you can call me professor Flitwick. I've been teaching at Hogwarts for almost twenty years now and still love seeing the thrill in a young wizard's eye when he masters a spell for the first time. In this class you will learn many spells that can be used in your daily life to make mundane tasks much more simple and much less labor intensive. It is my greatest desire that each of you enjoy this class and, eventually, continue on to the advanced Charms classes. As is customary, on the first day of the term, I must assess your abilities in the subject in order to determine how to best help each of you reach your full potential. The spell that I will use to do this is 'Wingardium Leviosa;' this spell, when cast correctly, will allow you to levitate the feathers that have been placed on each of your desks. First watch how I move my wand: swish and flick. Now, with me, everyone: swish and flick." The class complied and the dimunitive professor appeared pleased by what he saw. "Very good, now watch as I add the incantation: Wingadium Leviosa. After you demonstrate your ability to successfully use the spell then you will be free to go."

Following the Charms professor's declaration, the class erupted in a chorus of Wingardium Leviosa. Although several students, including Susan Bones, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Terry Boot, Michael Corner, and Padma Patil managed to make their feather flap wildly on the ground only three students managed to levitate the feather on their first try: Harry Potter, Nymphadora Tonks, and Hermione Granger.

The three students who managed to get the spell right on their first try were congradulated and promptly dismissed from class despite Harry and Nymphadora's attempt to stay behind to help their friends master the charm. However, after awarding Hufflepuff ten points and Ravenclaw five points the small professor would hear nothing of it and bade the trio good day. In the hall the three students stopped to determine what they would do with the time that remained until lunch began. Several ideas were posed and quickly rejected before the group decided to explore Hogwarts. Before moving their tour to another floor, the students decided to see what else the third floor had to offer and encountered a statue of a One-Eyed Witch, the Hogwarts Trophy Room, what was, presumably, the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, the Library, the door that led to the chamber that Dumbledore had claimed was under renovations, and an armory. Harry was very proud to find that both of his parents had been able to distinguish themselves in the time that they spent at Hogwarts. Nymphadora had become very excited for their later Defense Against the Dark Arts class and Hermione had fallen in love with Hogwarts library.

Unfortunately, for the three students, they spent so much time admiring all that the third floor had to offer that the period ended. So they decided that they would save Hogwarts' other floors for another day and made their way to the Great Hall to meet their friends. When the group was reunited, and Hermione rejoined her fellow Ravenclaws, the young Hufflepuffs chattered happily about the events of their first official day as witches and wizards. Soon though, the lunch hour ended and it was time to return to class.

The Hufflepuff first-years followed their schedules to the room that Harry, Nymphadora, and Hermione had earlier identified as the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. When they entered the classroom the students' reactions to its smell varied greatly; those who were more reserved merely made sour faces while those with fewer reservations loudly exclaimed that the room smelled like garlic. At the front of the classroom was a man dressed in a black robe with a large turban on his head with an end that he kept draped over his neck and shoulders like a scarf. Like the other teachers, the man began the class by addressing the students.

"He-hello st-st-students. It's gr-great t-t-to see a n-n-new batch of young fa-fa-faces. This is De-de-de-defense Against the Da-da-da-dark Arts and I'm pro-pro-pro-professor Quirrell."

Harry threw a pained look at Nymphadora who returned the look empathetically. Silently, they communicated that if it took the professor that long to get through his introduction then it would be a very long year. The strange man stuttered through the rest of his introduction and informed them that they would learn basic spell avoiding maneuvers in the class as first-year students. He then made the students stand and form a single file line before instructing them that he would be firing superficial spells at them that would not harm them but would hopefully encourage them to take the class seriously to avoid discomfort in the future. Before Harry and his group of friends attempted the task, the best performers had been Seamus Finnegan, Parvati Patil, and Ron Weasley of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff's Lily Moon. Neville had arrived slightly late to class but had an expression of sheer joy on his face and was the first of Harry's friends to attempt Quirrell's challenge. The young Hufflepuff put up a good show but fell a few seconds short of the record, set by Seamus. Hannah Abbot went next and had an average time. Susan Bones set the record for the girls and succeeded in tying Neville's time. Nymphadora flashed Harry a superior smile before she stepped up to face Quirrell; her nimbleness would prove an asset as she would beat Seamus' time by 23 seconds. Harry knew that he would not be able to live it down if Nymphadora beat him at this challenge; he wanted to beat her but would settle for a tie.

Harry bounced on his toes as he stood across from the man in the turban. When the first spell came it was a simple matter of hopping to the left to avoid it. The second spell was aimed at his mid section so Harry merely pivoted and turned his body so that he was presenting a smaller target to his opponent as the spell flew past him. The third and fourth spells were launched at almost the same time and caused Harry to roll to the side in order to avoid the jets of light. The fifth spell was fired right as Harry was finishing his roll with a crouch and would have hit him if he didn't dive forward instead of continuing onto his feet. The seventh spell was aimed at Harry's extended body and required Harry to extend his arms beneath him as if he was doing a push-up in order to dodge. The eighth spell was aimed where Harry's legs had been before he swung them to the left and used the momentum to rise to his feet again. Harry had lost track of what his time was spells ago and was only focusing on avoiding his teacher's spells. The ninth and tenth spells were fired within a very short time span and forced Harry into a corner; although the young boy had been able to dodge the spells he had put himself into a position where he could no longer make the most out of his youthful agility. Through a combination of determination and luck Harry was able to dodge the eleventh and twelfth spells by hopping while pulling his knees to his chest. However, his luck ran out on the thirteenth spell and Harry's usually unruly hair became even more untamable.

The class was silent when Quirrell congratulated Harry for his fine display of dodging ability. Harry had smashed the previous record by a whole minute and could not help but to stick his tongue out at Nymphadora. The rest of the class seemed to be inspired by Harry's performance and averaged higher times than most of those who went before Harry with the exception of Nymphadora, Seamus, and Neville. When they were all done the class was dismissed and, since neither Herbology nor Care of Magical Creatures was meeting during the first week the Hufflepuffs retired to their common room for the afternoon.

By the time the young 'Puffs got back to their dorm they had gotten over the shock that Harry's performance had caused and were heaping praise on the boy. Harry thanked his housemates politely but wished that they would just let the matter drop. In the Hufflepuff common room the first-years banded together and began researching the ingredients and brewing techniques for the Wiggenweld potion. Steadily the group finished up and they chattered about their first day, their refined expectations for the year, and their impressions of the professors. At 7:15 a bell chimed to indicate that dinner would be served in fifteen minutes and the first years filed through the hallways as they made their way to the Great Hall.

Harry and his friends got to the Great Hall right as the food magically appeared on the tables. Although the food caused an appreciative chatter among the students, it would seem that word of Harry's performance in Defense Against the Dark Arts had spread because many people stopped talking to turn their heads and stare at 'the Boy-Who-Lived.' If not for Harry's metamorphmagus abilities he would have been turning red in the face out of irritation; instead he did his best to appear unfazed by the extra attention that he received from his classmates. Harry and his group of friends made their way to the Hufflepuff table and dug into the delicious feast that had been prepared for them. Harry and Nymphadora ate much more quickly than their friends and excused themselves before the others had finished.

After a silent walk to the common room, Harry and Nymphadora were alone for the first time since they had boarded the Hogwarts Express.

"Don't let the looks bother you, Harry," Nymphadora said as she moved closer to Harry to console him.

"It's just so irritating that all of these people judge me before they know anything about me. For all they know, all the rumors about me could be complete lies but they treat everything that they hear about me as if it's a fact. Right now, the rumors are telling them positive things about me but what if the rumor mill turned against me? Would the whole school turn against me too?"

"I don't know Harry, I would like to say no but I have had as much time to get to know our class mates as you have. I think that the best thing that you could do is to try your hardest to make sure that people know and see the real you," reasoned Harry. "Worst case scenario, we could copy the forms of other people and pretend to be them during meal times. It may even be kind of fun to use our abilities to snoop like that."

Harry laughed. "You are very wicked, Nymph. I'm going to continue to do my best and I hope that eventually that eventually I can step out of 'the boy-who-lived's' shadow. Plus, I was pretty awesome in Defense, wasn't I?" teased Harry.

"You're just lucky that you already knew what my score was; otherwise there is no way that you would have beaten me," Nymphadora said with an air of confidence. However, she did not know if that was the truth or not. Harry had done spectacularly in Defense and, although she was pretty sure that she could have dodged a couple more spells, she wasn't sure that she would have been able to duplicate his feat. The two hugged before they turned into bed for the night; the morning promised to bring with it a fresh set of adventures and challenges.

**AWitP: First Day Experience**

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**AN3: This chapter now holds the record for being the longest piece of writing that I have ever written; it is almost 17 whole pages in 11 point font, single-spaced. I am very happy with the way that it came together. I contemplated making each class into its own chapter so that you, my awesome readers, wouldn't have to wait so long in between updates but figured that having the whole first day in one chapter made more sense.**

**AN4: I put a ton of work into making the chapter of this length, please leave me a review and let me know that all the time that I spent creating it was worth it. Should I write short Chapters and have more frequent updates or long chapters and infrequent updates? Any preferences on the issue?**


	4. The Twists and Turns Along the Way

**Chapter 4: The Twists and Turns Along the Way**

**AN: This chapter has been edited**

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**AWitP: The Twists and Turns Along the Way**

The first weeks of the term passed in a blur for the Hufflepuff first-years. Due to the extensive preparatory training that Harry and Nymphadora had received, the pair continued to distinguish themselves from their class mates and excel in their classes. Despite an inexplicable animosity from the Potions professor and a Defense professor who seemed to be scared of his own shadow, Harry was very much enjoying his time at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. To his immense pleasure, during Hufflepuff house's nightly study session, on Monday night, Harry and Nymphadora were pulled aside by their head of house, Pamona Sprout.

"First of all, I would like to tell you both how proud it has made me to hear of your classroom successes over the past few weeks. You have performed far above the expectations that we have for most first-year students. Even Professor Snape, who is far from your biggest advocate, Harry, has admitted that your performance in potions has been exemplary. Miss Tonks, I have included you in this conversation because I wanted to make you the same offer that I am prepared to extend to Harry. It is my understanding that the two of you wish to be Aurors," Pamona paused to see her students nod vigorously at her assertion. "If you two are agreeable then I would like to offer you the opportunity to spend two evenings per week in an accelerated instruction program with me. Although I am not an Auror, I have an expansive knowledge of magic and can help you along the paths that you have chosen."

Harry and Nymphadora were overjoyed because of their head of house's offer and, because of their joy, their bodies began to rapidly shift through the metamorphmagus transformations that indicated that they were happy. Harry suddenly grew six inches taller and his hair alternated between red, yellow, and orange. Nymphadora also grew taller while her hair grew longer and shifted from her normal raven color to pink, yellow and orange. The pair was joyfully embracing and didn't realize that they had accidentally shown their metamorphmagus abilities to their professor until they heard a small gasp followed by a chuckle.

"It seems that you two will never cease to amaze me. Tell me, have either of you been able to change your appearance in the past?"

Harry and Nymphadora exchanged a quick glance, communicating that they could trust their head of house with the knowledge of their ability, before nodding to answer the question. Harry then elaborated and told his head of house how he met and came to live with the Tonks family. His professor was equally enthralled and appalled by his tale and didn't realize how much time had passed since she had pulled the two promising first-years aside to make them her offer.

"Harry, the treatment you received at the hands of your relatives was abominable; I will be having words with the Headmaster once you and Miss Tonks retire to your dormitories for the night. Miss Tonks, ten points to Hufflepuff for loyally helping someone less fortunate than you. I will now warn you that our additional instruction sessions will be very strenuous and demanding and they will only continue as long as they don't interfere with your continued excellence in your core classes but if you remain dedicated then you will see results very soon. Mr. Potter, you, more than many of your classmates, know that life can be unfair; when confronted with a difficult situation one can either choose to surrender or they can fight to overcome the adversity. The purpose of the additional instruction is to make sure that there is no obstacle that you cannot overcome," declared the Hufflepuff head of house.

"Thank you for everything, professor Sprout. We will work hard in your lessons and won't let you down," Harry answered while Nymphadora nodded enthusiastically. "I want to be the best Auror in the world and will do whatever it takes to be able to fill that role."

"Harry means that he wants to be the second best Auror in the world because I'm going to be the number one Auror in the magical world," challenged Nymphadora. "I'll still need a great side-kick though."

The Hufflepuff professor chuckled at her students' enthusiasm. Looking back and forth between the two raven haired children with emerald and sapphire eyes, she knew that she had made the right choice by following up with the agreement that she made with Harry. The two young Hufflepuffs obviously shared a very strong connection and Pamona could imagine the power that they would wield once they reached their full potential. She didn't like to imagine her students in potentially dangerous situations but knowing that Harry and Nymphadora would be able to defend themselves if they were ever caught in a bad situation brought a smile to her face. "I think that, by the time you leave Hogwarts, both of you will become first-rate Aurors. Just remember, do not get discouraged if you encounter trials along the way. Our auxiliary lessons will take place from now until the end of the school year on Tuesday and Thursday nights during the House Study period. Now you two need to be getting to bed, the morning is swiftly approaching. We will have our first session during tomorrow night's House Study."

* * *

The children thanked the Herbology professor before leaving the Hufflepuff dorm to have dinner in the Great Hall. Their head of house was true to her word and, after making sure that the two first-years made it to their dorm rooms, left the Hufflepuff common room to have words with the headmaster. Along the way to the headmaster's office, Pamona encountered her esteemed colleague, Minerva McGonagall. Minerva, who had expected Harry to follow in his parents' footsteps as a Gryffindor and thus be placed under her supervision, decided to accompany Pamona to the headmaster's office once she learned that the head of Hufflepuff wanted to speak about the wellbeing of Harry Potter.

In no time, the two were seated in matching, oversized, chintz armchairs in the headmaster's office.

"Although it is certainly a pleasure to see both of you, I do wonder why whatever subject you wish to talk about could not be spoken about over dinner in the Great Hall," mused Albus Dumbledore as he sat behind his desk, his fingers forming a steeple as he pushed his hands together in concentration.

"I wish to speak to you about the living arrangements that had been made for Harry Potter following the deaths of his parents ten years ago," stated the Hufflepuff head of house. "I have recently been informed that, if it weren't for the actions of one of his fellow students and her family, the student being Nymphadora Tonks, Harry would have spent the last ten years under the care of barbaric relatives that tortured and abused him, daily. I now demand to know if you knew the treatment that he received at the hands of his relatives."

Albus Dumbledore's brow furrowed because of the professor's words. "My dear, Pamona, it is my most heartfelt regret that my choice to place Harry under the protection of his relatives resulted in the kind of treatment that you have described. When Lily and James were murdered, and I had to find a place for young Harry, it was my sincere belief that Petunia, Lily's sister, would be able to overcome the jealousy that plagued her and that she would become the mother that Lily would no longer have the chance to be. Additionally, I had worried that Lord Voldemort's followers would attempt to take advantage of the boy's defenseless state and attempt to finish what their master had started. I placed him with his mother's sister and used her sacrifice and the blood bond that Harry Potter and Petunia Dursley shared to fashion the strongest blood wards in order to protect Harry from those who sought to harm him as long as he called his Aunt's house his home. I admit that I did not foresee him falling prey to those people who he depended on for shelter and, thus, am responsible for the abuse that he suffered at his relatives' hands."

The Hufflepuff and Gryffindor heads of house were both deeply disturbed by the headmaster's words. To think that the seemingly infallible headmaster of Hogwarts and widely proclaimed Leader of the Light could make such an egregious mistake was unsettling. For that mistake to have such far reaching consequences for someone that he sought to protect was even more disturbing still. Minerva McGonagall was the first to find her voice to respond to the suddenly haggard looking wizard in the headmaster's robes sitting on the other side of the desk, across from her.

"I remember the day that you left the boy with them. You assured me, against my better judgment, that a life with his relatives would be the best life Harry could have. Did you even know when the boy began to stay with the Tonks family? If you didn't know then that means that Harry could have been kidnapped at any time which is unacceptable, to say the least. If you did know that Harry was gone but decided that 'the Boy-Who-Lived' did not merit a search party then you have much to explain."

Dumbledore looked very uncomfortable because of McGonagall's line of questioning. Unconsciously he glanced over to the table where he kept a number of silver instruments that he had used to monitor Harry's health over the past years. "Minerva, please believe that I always have the best interests of my students at heart. It came to my attention, several years ago, that the blood wards that surrounded Harry's relatives' house had become dormant. Of course, this piqued my interest and I went to investigate. My investigations revealed what you have found to be true and I found myself in a bad situation; I was appalled that my actions had caused such pain for the boy but did not wish to estrange him from the Light side by presenting myself, at a time when his emotions were so raw, to be the reason that he had suffered. I found that the Tonks family had adopted Harry in the muggle fashion and believed that the best way for me to atone for my mistake was to let him live with the people who genuinely desired to take care of him. From what I have heard from the professors, he and young Nymphadora have an extremely close relationship and demonstrate remarkable magical ability."

The Hufflepuff head of house found her voice by the time that Albus finished speaking. "Be that as it may, you should not have kept this type of information to yourself. What if Harry had encountered a Death Eater after he left his relatives' house? In his emotional state he would have believed anyone who said that they would treat him better than his relatives did. He very well could have turned to the dark side and been influenced to hate muggles and fight against those who have caused him pain in the past. You could have been responsible for the rise of the next dark lord!"

The headmaster shifted uncomfortably at the professor's words. His eyes lost their usual twinkle and it was as if his age was finally catching up with him; he took a pained sigh before he responded. "I have been trying to convince myself otherwise for the last few years. I remember Andromeda and Ted Tonks from the years that they spent here as students but couldn't help but wonder if having a Slytherin occupy such an important role in his life would cause Harry to shy away from the Light Side. However, I believe that Harry has chosen to be a warrior for the Light."

Pamona huffed before she dignified Dumbledore's statement with a response. "Consider yourself lucky, headmaster. I believe that it is because of Miss Tonks' influence that Harry is applying himself so thoroughly to becoming an Auror. In fact, I have just promised to give the pair additional lessons so that they would be ready to begin their carreers as Aurors upon finishing their seventh year instead of having to go through the Auror Academy. Perhaps you should consider giving the pair additional lessons in the future also in order to make up for your oversight."

Dumbledore appeared reluctant and chose to redirect the conversation. "Perhaps, I will, but I think it best that he is given the opportunity to be a normal child. Being encouraged to seek power at such a young age could corrupt the boy."

McGonagall gasped at the headmaster's proclamation. "Do you really think that any son of James and Lily Potter could become the next Dark Lord?"

Albus Dumbledore looked out the window and appeared to be viewing scenes from the past. "Harry has shown magical abilities that his parents would have made his parents proud to an extent that I have only seen in a select few witches and wizards. His ability, charisma, and power remind me of a young Slytherin who also was denied the privilege of knowing his parents. Minerva, I'm sure you recall the boy that I am referring to."

Pamona knew Albus well enough to know that he would not be sharing any more information about the Slytherin boy so she decided to let the matter rest. Although she didn't explicitly know who the headmaster was referring to it was logical that the student was the boy who would become the most terrible Dark Lord in history. Cutting her losses, the Hufflepuff head of house thanked the headmaster for taking time out of his dinner to speak with her before making her way down to the Great Hall to take her place at the staff table. From her position, she looked out at her house's table and smiled when she saw Harry and Nymphadora talking animatedly with Neville Longbottom, Hannah Abbot, Susan Bones, and Justin Finch-Fletchley.

* * *

Harry and Nymphadora left the Hufflepuff common room feeling elated. The prospect of personal lessons had buoyed their spirits despite the guarantee that the extra lessons would require extra work. The two chattered happily about the different ways that their additional instruction sessions would help them become Aurors. The pair's enthusiasm was contagious and their friends quickly joined in on the banter.

Neville was similarly excited, but for a different reason. Neville had been crushed when Ron Weasley's errant spell had destroyed the wand of his father, Frank Longbottom. However, the destruction of that wand had been a boon for Neville; his father's wand did not suit him and did not work well for him. By obtaining a wand that suited his magical core Neville was quickly able to make up the ground that he had lost during the first week and had dedicated himself to catching up to, and keeping up with, Harry and Nymphadora.

Susan and Hannah were also happy. In true Hufflepuff fashion, the pair was ecstatic that they had made such good friends with the other Hufflepuff first-years during their first week at Hogwarts. Although they spent more time talking to each other than their new friends they made sure to take every opportunity to get to know their classmates more thoroughly. They had even gotten they somewhat shy Justin Finch-Fletchley to join their group.

Neville accidentally knocked a gravy boat over and the Hufflepuffs quickly stepped away from the table in order to escape the wave of gravy that had begun to cascade over the edge of the table like a waterfall. In the confusion there was much pushing and shoving until one of the seventh-year Hufflepuffs took pity on the first-year students and vanished the brown liquid. After thanking the helpful seventh-year, the first-years sat back down and resumed their meal.

Harry had reacted quickly enough that he did not have any of the gravy on his robes but when he sat down he felt an unfamiliar weight in his pocket. He reached his hand into his pocket and found an envelope with his name printed on the front. Before he could open the envelope he heard Susan calling his name. He put the envelope back in his pocket before responding to his fellow Hufflepuff.

"Sorry Susan, what were you saying," Harry asked as he turned his attention back to his fellow students.

"It's ok Harry. I was asking what you thought about the upcoming flying lessons," Susan repeated. "My Aunt was a seventh-year when your dad basically single-handedly won the Quidditch Cup for Gryffindor and I was wondering if his passion for the sport had passed on to you?"

Harry looked at Nymphadora and couldn't help smirking. The Tonks parents had allowed Harry and Nymphadora to fly their brooms on occasion and those times had proved that Nymphadora was as uncoordinated in the air as she had been on the ground before she met Harry. "I enjoy flying but I don't know that I would ever try to join the quidditch team. My goal is to become an Auror; if my goal was to play professional quidditch then I would consider it but I would feel bad taking a spot that could go to someone who really wants to play the sport."

The young Hufflepuffs appeared to be surprised by Harry's declaration however it was Justin who found his voice first. "Do you really think that you could make the team?"

Harry merely nodded giving Nymphadora the opportunity to change the subject. "Dueling is way more exciting than quidditch. Think about how exciting it the dodge portion of Defense Against the Dark Arts is; every move is made for a reason and if you make the wrong move then the consequences can be extreme. I can't wait to begin offensive spells in class!"

The Hufflepuffs nodded in agreement and finished up their dinners before returning to the Hufflepuff common room. The friends bid each other good night and retired to their dorms. After showering, putting on his pajamas, and brushing his teeth Harry went to his dorm room and sat on his bed. The prospect of extra training sessions with his head of house had once again brought a smile to Harry's face. The young boy had just layed his head against his pillow when he realized that he had forgotten to see what was inside the envelope that had been addressed to him and hidden in his pocket during dinner. Harry rose from the bed, doing his best to remain inconspicuous and retrieved the envelope from the pocket of his robe. He took a deep breath before opening the envelope and pulling out a folded piece of parchment. Harry was very impressed with his correspondent's penmanship as he read:

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_This is the first time I dared to write you.  
I'd like to formally invite you to  
prove to me that you are not a buffoon._

_However, in order for us to dine  
you have to prove you can defeat a rhyme.  
I doubt you'll be capable at this time  
but hopefully soon you'll crack this design._

_Our paths are different, yet much the same  
you have yet to astound me with your brain.  
Once you figure it out then call my name,  
after each missed guess your chances will drain._

_You have three chances so use them with care.  
I'll give you three hints to make sure it's fair._

_Most of the time the truth's hidden from view  
beneath the façade lies that which is true.  
You see only that which I show to you  
but I'm more than that, I don't prefer blue._

_I don't condone the actions of my peers,  
those who let themselves be ruled by their fears.  
Don't worry about breaking the ice this year.  
I would give you silence rather than jeers._

_You'll have three years more to complete this task.  
Answer before and I'll take off the mask.  
Then we can stay in the sun, while we bask  
admire the sky and lie grass._

_Sincerely yours, if you can guess my name.  
If you can't then divided we'll remain._

Harry read the note several times and could not determine what had prompted the message. He had an overwhelming urge to start naming off the names of girls that could have sent him the note but remembered that he only had three opportunities to correctly guess the name and stopped himself. He promised himself that he would figure who had sent the message to him but, since he had seemingly been allotted three years, he would be on watch for any activity that could alert him to the identity of his correspondent. For the second time that night, Harry laid his head down on his pillow. Thoughts of training forgotten, Harry stewed over the message that he had received. The note was different than other fan letters that he had received in the past; the sender didn't even identify themselves. Instead, they challenged him to figure out who they were and gave him clues to discern their identity. Harry promised that he would figure out the identity of his correspondent by himself before he told any of his friends about the message that he received. Although he was very appreciative of his friends he knew that they would attempt to assist him in figuring out who had sent him the message and, for a reason that he could not identify, he knew that he needed to find the answer for himself.

Harry woke the next morning feeling well rested and ready for the day. In Transfiguration he was able to successfully transfigure his Standard Book of Spells into a shield, much to the delight of his Transfiguration professor. Unfortunately for Harry, before he could even enter the dungeon, where Potions classes were held, he was accosted by Draco Malfoy and his goons, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, in the hallway.

"What do you want, Malfoy," Harry asked briskly.

"Well, well, well look what we have here. It's a loser Hufflepuff, who doesn't know his place. Crabbe, Goyle what should we do about this?" Draco pompously asked his cronies.

The two large Slytherin boys looked at each other, confused as to whether or not Draco actually expected an answer. The question seemed to hang in the air for a few moments longer than a rhetorical question should, so Goyle began to respond only to be cut off by Draco. "Potter, you aren't half the wizard that I am and we'll prove it. Draw your wand!"

"I'm not going to duel you in the corridor, Malfoy. We both know that magic in the corridors, and dueling especially, is not allowed. Besides, with aim as pathetic as yours probably is you won't even be able to hit me," taunted Harry.

"Oh, we'll see about that. Fernunculus!" Draco shouted.

Harry easily dodged Draco's spell. "Was that it, Malfoy? If that's all you can do then you should move out of the way so that I'm not late to class."

"I'll show you, Potter!" Draco flourished his wand quickly and unleashed a series of spells. "Incendio! Flipendo! Petrificus Totalus!"

Harry, who had been standing in the middle of the corridor facing down the trio of Slytherins leaped so that his back was against the wall to avoid the spells that Draco had aimed for where his body was. "Really, Malfoy. Save yourself some embarrassment and let me out of the way so that I can go to class."

"I'm not through with you yet, Potter!" Draco yelled in frustration. "Petrificus Totalus! Flipendo! Incendio!"

Harry rolled away from the wall to dodge Draco's spells and decided to attempt a spell that he had read about in the Tonks library. "Expelliarmus!"

The jet of red light caught Draco by surprise; the Slytherin let out a cry as his wand flew into Harry's out stretched hand. Draco's face was contorted in rage but before he could say anything he was interrupted.

"My, oh my. What do we have here? Mr. Potter you will give Mr. Malfoy back his wand immediately and you have just cost your house 25 points. Get to class before your insolence earns you a detention," the Potions professor drawled.

Harry realized that arguing would get him nowhere. Instead, he followed the professor's instructions and handed the man Draco's wand before continuing down the hallway and walking into the Potions classroom where he promptly took his seat next to his potions partner. Harry was stewing because he had been punished for something that he hadn't done and didn't feel like trying to get the Slytherin girl to open up so the two sat in silence until the professor and Draco entered the classroom.

The professor shot Harry a withering look once he assumed his place at the head of the class. "During the past week you proved that you are not complete dunderheads by brewing Wiggenweld potions. This week you will be responsible for something much more difficult," the man announced while pulling a vial from the sleeve of his robe. "What I have here is an incredibly dangerous potion called Shinobiki; during the Dark Ages it was used by dark wizards to psychologically destabilize their enemies. Eventually, antidotes were found and propagated among the magical population rendering this potion obsolete. You will be responsible for providing me with a suitable antidote to this poison. This is a pass/fail assignment that I severely doubt that the majority of you will pass. However those of you who do pass will find that the knowledge that you gain along the way to your answer is invaluable with regards to future Potions assignments. You will not be expected to brew the antidote that you find but be prepared to present your findings to me during next Tuesday's potion lesson. That is all; class is dismissed and will not meet again until you return to present your antidote." The man then strode out of the room with his cape billowing behind him leaving a surprised group of students in his wake.

After the brief encounter with the Potions Master in the hall Harry had expected the class to be filled with verbal slights and thinly disguised bias. He looked around the dungeon to gauge how his peers were reacting to the Potion Master's declaration and was sure that the look of glee that was on their faces mirrored his own expression. Since the class had been in session for less than two minutes Harry decided that he would get a head start on the project by going to the library. There was a rustling sound next to him and Harry was broken out of his private thoughts as he turned to see Daphne leaving the room. Harry stood and walked toward the door where he was met by the other first-year Hufflepuffs.

"Oi, Harry, can you believe that old bat let us out of class so early," asked Neville with uncharacteristic enthusiasm.

"Honestly, I'm still trying to convince myself that actually happened. After I left Transfiguration I had a little run-in with Malfoy and his goons that resulted in Snape docking Hufflepuff 25 points and him threatening me with a detention. I had expected him to be more venomous toward me during today's class," answered Harry causing his friends to look at him as if he had just sprouted a second head. "Anyway, I'm thinking about heading to the library to get a head start. Do you guys want to come with me?" replied Harry as he glanced at his friends.

Hannah, Susan, and Justin declined after voicing their outrage at their professor's bias and headed back to the common room leaving Neville and Nymphadora to go to the library with Harry. On the way there, Neville almost became a victim of one of Hogwarts' infamous trick stairs but Harry saw the stair go out and was able to warn Neville before the boy's leg got stuck.

Since professor Snape let his class out so early into the period the library was mostly empty except for Daphne and the librarian, Madam Pince. If Daphne was affected in any way by her Hufflepuff classmates appearing in the library she gave no indication. The Slytherin girl's face remained impartial as she turned her attention back to the book that she was reading. Harry, Neville, and Nymphadora decided to split up in order to cover more ground.

Harry walked through the rows of shelves that made up the Hogwarts library and smiled as he ran his fingertips over the books' spines. Harry could practically feel the magical energy that rested beneath the books' covers. Walking along and reveling in the feeling of the magic stored inside of the books, Harry did not realize where his feet had taken him and he found himself in the library's Restricted Section. With each step the magical current that was pulling him seemed to become more irresistible. When he came to a stop he was standing in front of an ancient tome that was covered by a very thick layer of dust. It was apparent that the tome had been forgotten and it looked like it had not been opened in an extremely long time.

Acting under the same compulsion that led him into the Restricted Section in the first place, Harry extended his arm and pulled the ancient tome from the shelf. He swept his hand over the front cover of the book to reveal the words Volutatem Ignis which shimmered in the candle light of the Restricted Section. Harry tried to open the book but yelped and dropped it when a shock wave shot through the nerves on the palm of his left hand, which had been supporting the book, and on the fingers of his right hand which he had used to open the book. Harry brought his hands to his face so that he could see what had caused him such pain. Emblazoned on the palm of Harry's left hand and the tips of each of the fingers on his right hand were symbols that resembled a child's drawing of the sun. However, instead of a solid ball in the center there was a vortex spiraling counter-clockwise surrounded by eight ray-like triangles pointing into the vortex. At the first glance Harry thought that all the symbols were the same but further investigation showed that there were two main differences between the markings on the fingers of Harry's right hand and the larger mark on his left palm; on each of his fingertips the eight triangles, which pointed into from the central vortex on his palm pointed away from the vortex and the smaller vortexes on Harry's fingertips swirled in the opposite direction of the larger vortex on his left palm.

Harry stared at the symbols in shock for several seconds before willing his skin color to change to hide the strange marks. His face became lined with concern when his magic wasn't immediately able to make the symbols disappear. However, he refused to give up and channeled more of his magic toward the symbols on his hands; he was relieved when they started to fade and, in his relief, Harry stopped concentrating on making the symbols invisible. After some experimentation with his marks Harry found that unless he constantly focused on hiding the marks they began to reappear.

Harry mused that he was fortunate that the marks had appeared in relatively inconspicuous spots on his body so he would probably be able to hide the evidence of his rule breaking even if his concentration broke for whatever reason. However, his musing was cut off when the Hogwarts librarian appeared. The buzzard-like woman had heard the book drop was irate that a student would be so careless with a precious piece of literature and that a first year had somehow managed to get past the age line she had finally convinced Dumbledore to draw in front of the Restricted Section. The librarian was so upset that she failed to notice Harry slipping the book that he found into his satchel.

The flustered librarian spent ten minutes ranting about the importance of books before she threatened to ban Harry from the library if she ever witnessed such deplorable behavior from him in the future. Harry apologized profusely and promised the librarian that he would be on his best behavior whenever he was in the library in the future. He had lost track of time and decided that he would unravel the book's secrets when he wasn't on such a tight deadline and wasn't in such a public location. Charms class was due to be starting and Harry did not want to miss the lecture's introduction. Harry was pleased to find that Nymphadora had saved him a seat and he made his way through the charms classroom to sit by his oldest friend.

As he pulled in his chair behind him, Harry began to whisper. "Nymphie, you will never believe what happened to me when I was in the library. Somehow, I wound up in the Restricted Section and found this really old book. I tried to open the blasted thing and it felt as if the book shocked me. Then I looked and saw that the palm of my left hand and the fingers of my other hand had been marked. Check it out," Harry prompted his friend.

At his suggestion the girl leaned closer to Harry and gasped when she saw the marks on Harry's skin. "Wotcher, Harry! That's wicked. Are you ok, besides the marks?"

"Yeah, and as long as I concentrate on them I can keep them invisible," Harry explained in a hushed tone. "If there was anything besides the marks I think I would know."

Nymphadora briefly pondered about Harry's situation before speaking again. "What about the rest of the book? What was it about?"

"I don't know. I accidentally dropped it when it shocked me and Madam Pince kicked me out of the library. It was all I could do to hide the book in my bag; I didn't get a chance to read anything. I was planning to check it out during lunch."

"I have got to see this! As long as I don't wind up with markings like yours, that sounds good to me," Nymphadora replied. "Imagine how mad mum would be if we both came home from our first year covered in strange marks."

Harry gulped when he considered how his adoptive mother would react if she found out about the marks that had appeared on his body, it wouldn't be pleasant. It was then that the charms professor announced that the class would be starting and that they would be learning the Reparo charm. He then went through the motions, as per his custom, before giving his students an opportunity to try the spell for themselves. Nymphadora was able to take advantage of Harry's lack of concentration and, much to his chagrin, she managed to successfully cast the spell before him. On the way down to the Great Hall, Nymphadora's spirits were high as she reminded him in an exaggerated manner that she would still have a place for him by her side: as a sidekick when she was a first-class Auror.

After the pair finished eating they returned to the Hufflepuff common room and, using their metamorphmagus abilities, they changed their physical appearances to resemble a pair of Hufflepuff sixth years so that they wouldn't be questioned. Once they were satisfied with each other's transformation, Harry lifted the ancient tome Volutatem Ignis onto the desk in front of him. This time when Harry tried to open the book he did not feel the shock that he had expected. Instead, he felt the magic that he used to conceal the marks being pushed back despite his efforts to maintain his disguise. Despite Harry's efforts he felt the strange force overwhelming his magic; in response he poured everything he had into overpowering the strange force and felt a strange wind begin to whip around him.

The wind became a vortex as Harry's magic and the magic contained within the book fought for dominance. In moments, the wind was spinning so fast that the rest of the common room became blurred; the only things that Harry could see were the Volutatem Ignis and Nymphadora at his side. Somehow, the young girl managed to combine her magic with Harry's in a desperate attempt to break free from the magical vortex. Unfortunately the additional magic only made the vortex turn faster. After what seemed like an eternity, Harry and Nymphadora reached their limits and could not continue their struggle against the ancient magic. There was a flash of light and the pair lost consciousness. When they finally woke up they would realize that they were a long way away from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

**AWitP: The Twists and Turns Along the Way**

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**AN: I had been planning to avoid cliffhangers with this story but I really want to know your reaction to this one. Where do you think the story is going? Where would you like to see it go? No need to vote about who Harry eventually ends up with, I have someone in mind. Feel free to guess who if you want. Please leave me a review they let me know that it's worth it! **


	5. Defining Choices

**Chapter 5: Defining Choices**

**AN: This chapter diverges DRASTICALLY from the first three chapters of the story. You may like it, you may hate it; either way this story has found a direction and I'm sticking to it. To anyone who is just joining me on this adventure, welcome. This chapter took a lot of time to write because I had to reconcile certain events to make sure that they didn't interfere with history too badly. I'll explain the era that Harry finds himself in more in the post-script note. I hope that you like it. Thanks to EVERYONE who reviewed. I received some very constructive reviews that encouraged me to write better on this chapter and tried to address the issues that had been raised.**

**AN: This chapter has been edited**

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**AWitP: Defining Choices**

"Uh… Where are we," Harry asked as he shook his head, attempting to clear the cobwebs from his mind and identify the unfamiliar landscape around him. The boy's gaze fell upon his oldest friend and he called out to her, "Nymphie, wake up!" However, Harry's voice did not reach his slumbering friend; she slept as if she hadn't a care in the world. So, after physically attempting to rouse the sleeping girl, he turned his attention back to his surroundings. He and Nymphadora were no longer in the Hufflepuff common room; instead, they were in a warm sun-lit valley that was bordered on one side by a range of mountains and on the opposite side by a forest that seemed to be alive. Harry was scared and confused by the scenario that he found himself in and because he didn't know what to do help his friend. Tears threatened to fall from the young boy's eyes but he clenched his teeth and put all of his effort into stemming their flow. He stood and was struck with a sense of insignificance due to just how grand the scene was, around him. There was a breeze that bent the tall blades of grass toward a lake that shimmered in the distance touching both the forest and the mountain range in a very picturesque manner; as soon as Harry's gaze fell upon the lake he felt an inexplicable pull toward the body of water. After quickly looking around in order to verify that he and Nymphadora were alone, Harry was convinced that Nymphadora would be safe in her position while investigated the mysterious body of water. Harry's feet started moving of their own accord and before he knew it he was leaning over a pool of the clearest water that he had ever seen. Harry leaned over the water and expected to see his reflection but what he saw when his gaze fell upon the unblemished surface made him gasp.

Harry, being a metamorphmagus, was used to his reflection changing and consequently did not miss a beat when the reflection in the water did not accurately reflect his true appearance. However, no matter what changes Harry made to his physical appearance his reflection was always alone in whatever object he was looking into, until he looked into the mesmerizing pool at the end of the field. In the waters of the pool, Harry saw a look of determination on his reflection's face. His reflection was dressed in a long-sleeved black shirt that clung to his arms like a second skin. Over the black shirt was a green vest with a collar that appeared to be reinforced so that it could serve to protect his neck from enemy weapons. His legs were covered by a pair of tan pants that fit tightly and were tucked into dark brown boots. His unruly dark hair was tied back except for a thick strand that hung down to cover the spot where Harry's scar would be. Harry's reflection pulled a mask up from the collar of his black shirt to cover the bottom part of his face before being surrounded by people, each of which had a symbol that consisted of a double sided trident, with five prongs instead of the customary three, that sat horizontally and was divided in the middle by a bar proudly displayed on a band that protected their forehead; Harry's reflection had the same symbol on the back of his vest. Harry's reflection and his allies assumed their battle stances as another group of people who had banded together under a different symbol moved towards them. Some of the warriors held swords, spears, or knives while others readied whip-like weapons, that were much more elaborate than the standard cat-o-nine-tails, that Harry had never seen in his life. The two groups sprang into action and Harry was amazed by what he saw; various combatants chose to harness the elements to attack their enemies instead of limiting their combat to hand-to-hand altercations. One by one, the duels were decided and the battlefield was strewn with casualties. Harry's reflection had won his duel and he stood opposite a figure dressed in a red and black outfit whose identity was also concealed by a mask. While Harry and his comrades were united under the symbol of the five-pronged, dual-sided trident, the mysterious figure and the others that Harry's reflection and his companions had fought so valiantly against were united under the image of paddle that was red on the top half and white on the bottom half. The figure and Harry's reflection appeared to exchange words but Harry could not hear what they were saying. After a few moments Harry and the figure started battling. Harry's reflection shot bolts of lightning at his adversary which were either dodged or countered with fireballs. Eventually the mysterious enemy was able to take the offensive and caught Harry's reflection in a tornado of fire. Harry saw his reflection slump to the ground and was broke from his stupor when he heard a voice calling to him.

"Young wizard, it has been a long time since anyone has heeded my call. This world, like many others, is on the verge of falling into chaos. This pool shows what may lay ahead of you in your future. You have a choice to make. If you choose incorrectly then you may fall, as you saw your reflection fall moments ago; if you choose correctly then you may be able to save many other people in addition to yourself. Before you make your decision, I will give you more information about the two factions that will be vying for control of this world. The first group of people will believe that they are fighting for what is right and would do almost anything to be victorious in the upcoming war; they will be led by a young charismatic leader who has the blessings of his elders and will fight from the moral high-ground. However, their opponents will also believe that they are fighting for what is right but they will have drastically different manner of accomplishing their goals. Their leader will rise up from obscurity and, in doing so, will earn the respect and loyalty of his followers. However, his rise from obscurity will cement his belief that nothing is forbidden to him if he deems it necessary to succeeding in his endeavors. Each side has noble beliefs and will require a champion to fight for their cause. Currently the majority of this world's people are unaware that there is a conflict brewing that will be so divisive but those who are aware are doing nothing to prevent the upcoming war. Due to the greed of power-hungry individuals on both sides of the future conflict there is nothing that can be done to prevent the split from occurring. However, as a champion you will find that, although the powers you have become accustomed to in your world are inaccessible in this world, there are many other forms of power. So young warrior who will you fight for?" the booming voice asked.

"I don't know," Harry breathed. "I still don't know anything about these people that you want me to fight for. How can I be expected to know which side is right?"

"It is pleasing that you did not immediately declare yourself for either side. For your consideration I will tell you more about the two factions. The charismatic leader of the first faction is one who could bring a period of greatness to the land but, undoubtedly, in his rashness to assure victory against his foes he will cause much ill will amongst those he defeats and those who manage to remain neutral during the war. After a decade of peace another resistance movement will form and, unlike its predecessor, this one will succeed in overthrowing the established system by shedding the blood of all those people who stand against them; the few who survive will become slaves and be worked to death by their cruel masters. On the other hand, the leader of the second group will be seen as an outlaw by the established order and will have to operate in the shadows in order to achieve his goals. By the time he is finally forced into the light his vision will have been corrupted by the darkness and he will become a tyrant. As his champion you will be forced to do things that violate your moral code however, his legacy will be far greater than the accomplishments of his life; his successors will bring the world will to a time of unprecedented prosperity. So the question that you are answering now is whether or not you can be an agent of evil today in order for good to prevail in the future or if you would cling to your beliefs in order to avoid being labeled evil today even though it will cause the world to spiral into chaos in the future?"

Harry's mind was reeling from the options that the voice presented him with; no matter what, he would ultimately be an instrument of evil. Harry slumped to the ground as the conclusion hit home. The young boy had no desire to commit any acts of evil. He wanted to grow up and become an Auror with his best friend in the world, Nymphadora. The thought of his best friend caused Harry's breath to catch in his chest. "What about Nymphadora? I can't just leave her!"

"It is a most unfortunate circumstance that you are placed in, Harry. Like you, your friend, Nymphadora, will also be a champion in the upcoming conflict. The reason that she did not wake when you called her earlier is because the decision is yours to make. No matter which side of the dispute you decide to support, she cannot stand by you as she has in the world that you come from."

Harry choked when he heard the voice's proclamation. "Bu-bu-but why?" Harry stammered.

"For every action there must be an equal and opposite reaction. That girl is your equal and, as such, is responsible for maintaining the balance of the world. If you choose to side with the first faction then she will be put at the mercy of the second leader and the girl that you have come to think of as family will be gone forever. If you chose to go with the leader from the second group then you will spare her a life of physical and moral agony but you will be forced to endure terrors more fearsome than your worst nightmares, and risk losing yourself, but she will be safe. Now, time is short, you must decide who will suffer as an agent of darkness."

Harry thought of all the good times that he had with his friend and knew that there was only one possible answer to the voice's question. "The second group; I'll serve the second group," Harry declared in a defeated voice as the tears that he had succeeded in holding back before burst from him like a damn.

"That decision was very noble of you, young Harry. For that, I will give show you kindness. Reach into the water to receive a tool that will help you on your journey," the voice instructed Harry.

Despite his tears, Harry did as he was instructed and reached down into the water. He stretched his body out over the pool in order to extend his reach; he almost over-balanced and fell into the water but was able to regain his balance when his hand closed on something. With a jerk of his hand, Harry caused water to erupt in all directions as he pulled the object back to the shore with him. Harry fell onto his bottom in an extremely ungraceful manner as he jerked back from over the water's surface. From his seated position he took the opportunity to examine the tool that the voice had granted him; it was a gleaming black cylinder with a handle that had seven gold spikes separated by an inch of black fabric that had been wrapped around the hilt as a grip. Harry looked perplexed by his new gift and, after placing one hand on the grip and the other on the unmarked part of the cylinder Harry pulled his hands apart to reveal an incredibly sharp blade that was about two-and-a-half times as long as the handle when the sheathe fell away. The blade was sharp on both sides and the tang ran the entire length of the blade; it would be a dangerous weapon. Half of the blade, from the center-fold to the sharpest part of the edge, was black and the other, corresponding part was white.

"That blade will never break, it can never dull, and it will never need to be sharpened; it is a gift to remind you that, while you toil in the darkness, you are ultimately fighting for the light. Keep it with you and remember what you are fighting for; if you forget your reason for fighting then everything that you hold dear will be lost to you and you will never survive long enough to see your friend, Nymphadora, again."

Harry's mouth was opening and closing but the young boy's voice failed him. The incoherent syllables that he was producing in response to the voice's declarations went unnoticed.

"One last thing, although you two are destined to be enemies in this world, with my powers I can discern many potential futures and, it is possible that, if you succeed in your endeavor to save this world from falling into chaos then neither of your paths will end here. Although the darkness will seem insurmountable at times, if you keep moving forward you will eventually find true light. Now, return to your friend and remember what has transpired on this day."

"Wait," Harry cried out. "Why us? Why can't you just send us back to Hogwarts so that we can be normal?" Harry's questions hung in the air, unacknowledged by the voice. From his seated position, Harry pulled his knees to his chest and started to rock, back and forth, in an attempt to cope with all that the voice had just told him. The young boy was shocked by how fundamentally his life had been altered since he had been transported from the Hufflepuff common room. After several minutes he was forced to admit that the voice was not going to return to offer him any more guidance, so Harry stood up, picked up his blade and its sheathe, from where they had fallen on the ground, and returned to his unconscious friend.

Instead of trying to wake the young Hufflepuff girl, Harry sat down next to her. He looked at her sleeping face, which had returned to its natural state, and imagined the way her blue eyes twinkled when she laughed or smiled. He was forced to choke back tears at the thought of having her taken from him in such a cruel way and resolved himself to do whatever it took to assure that the world did not fall into chaos so that they could meet again. As soon as the thought passed through Harry's mind a fierce wind blew through the meadow and Harry's world began to go dark. In his last conscious moments, Harry reached out and grabbed Nymphadora's hand; the last thing that he felt, before losing his battle against the impending darkness, was a reassuring squeeze from Nymphadora's hand from which Harry took to mean that his friend would always be there for him. Magic once again swirled around the two children and, in the blink of an eye, they were gone from the mysterious meadow.

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**AN: This is the point of no return where the cross-over begins. I hope that you like it. This is my first venture into the Narutoverse. Don't worry though, I have every intention of bring the protagonists back to the Potterverse.**

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The Land of Fire had been in a state of continual upheaval for decades. The strength of the Senju and Uchiha clans made the other clans of the region pale in comparison and, during the frequent conflicts that raged throughout the land, bandwagon with the clan that seemed most likely to come out victorious. After one such battle resulted in the deaths of several of the strongest members of the Senju clan, the Uchiha took advantage of the situation and marshaled the other clans of the region to fortify their place as the regional leader. The Uchiha then forced the Senju clan to sign a non-aggression treaty with them which, though it wasn't able to remove years of animosity, was able to create a tentative peace that allowed both clans to focus their efforts on building for the future. The Uchiha clan, under the guise of pacifying the region, heavily punished any who were found practicing any form of the ninja arts that had bought the Senju and Uchiha clans such respect. However, the Uchiha had no intention to give up the source of their power and continued to train their youth in the way of the Sharingan. Initially, the members of the Senju clan agreed that it would be best for all if the ninja arts were no longer practiced but, when they discovered the Uchiha clan's hypocrisy, they too resumed their training in secret.

In a small, unassuming cottage on the fringes of the small village a young boy abruptly jolted awake. When he arrived, two years before, the boy had been known as Harry Potter but, since arriving in the Land of Fire, the boy had simply been called Bolt on account of the scar on his forehead that resembled a lightning bolt. The boy was trained by the Senju clan in the ninja arts and made his sensei proud, despite his outsider status; Bolt demonstrated an elemental affinity, that the Senju clan highly valued, and proved his worth to the clan many times over by disabling Uchiha scouts who occasionally managed to find the Senju clan's continually moving training grounds. Over the past year, the Uchiha clan had become more determined to find the whereabouts of the Senju ninja and approved many missions to eradicate the Senju. The Uchiha were so obsessed with their desire to subjugate the Senju that they didn't stop to consider the level of destruction that their fire-based jutsu wrought upon the land. The other clans that had put their trust in the leadership of the Uchiha were now regretting the choice that they made when they agreed to stop training in the ninja arts. The Uchiha, since they were the first to break the law against training new ninja, had far more ninja than any other clan and they were desperate not to lose the power that they had amassed. In response, the strongest of the Senju warriors had begun a resistance movement to overthrow the corrupt Uchiha.

Shashirana Senju had distinguished himself among the Senju and had mastered ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu. As a boy, he was a prodigy who stood above his peers; he alone had the power to match the Mangekyō Sharingan of the Uchiha clan's leader. Consequently, when the boy reached maturity he was made head of the Senju clan. It was by his grace that Harry Potter had been taken in by the Senju clan and it was by his authority that the boy had to give up his previous identity, and assume the name Bolt, if he wished to live under the protection of the Senju. Shashirana had been very skeptical that the young boy would show any promise in the ninja arts and had been very surprised when Bolt proved himself to be very adept at both Ninjutsu and Taijutsu. Although Bolt had a long way to go until he was at the level of Shashirana Senju he became stronger by the day and prided himself on not making the same mistake twice. Bolt quickly rose through the ranks and had achieved the highest rank available to non-blood members of the Senju clan.

During his first year with the Senju clan, Bolt frequently thought of the meadow where he last saw his first friend, Nymphadora Tonks, but over the years the memory started to seem more and more like a dream. He began to wonder whether or not his time in the meadow and his vague memories of living in a castle and practicing magic were actually real at all. His harsh training, and his experiences fighting against the Uchiha ninjas, had given Bolt nightmares that had pushed the comforting thoughts far from his mind; if not for the black and white blade that Bolt had received in the meadow he would have written the whole experience off as an enemy's genjutsu affecting his mind. He had felt the sting of enemy blades piercing his flesh and the thrill of facing an adversary of immense strength. Bolt lived up to his name and used his lightning affinity to strike fear in the hearts of those who stood against him. It was said that the way that Bolt adapted to enemy techniques could only be rivaled by the infamous Sharingan of the Uchiha.

After years of preparation Shashirana Senju finally felt confident that the Senju clan was strong enough to wrest control from the hands of the Uchiha and called his forces together to stage a decisive battle; unfortunately, he was betrayed by one of his captains. In the slaughter that occurred, Shashirana Senju's once handsome face was severely disfigured and many of his valued warriors were unceremoniously killed. This had the dual effect of making Shashirana deeply suspicious of people and making him more convinced than ever that the Uchiha clan had to be stopped. He began to place more and more responsibility on the few captains that he could trust and, consequently, Bolt came to be feared as the Green Bolt of the Senju. Shashirana made people realize that they could no longer trust the Uchiha clan and a genuine rebellion started. Valiant fighters appeared to fight for the Uchiha clan and the conflict was brought to a stalemate. Shashirana had only just recently reached a position where he believed that the Senju clan could overwhelm the Uchiha clan in terms of sheer power and, because of that, he was preparing to take his resistance movement into the light by publically standing against the Uchiha and calling out to all of those who were tired of being repressed.

The Green Bolt of the Senju unrolled the scroll that contained his newest mission and grinned smugly as he read the contents, although no one would have known because of the mask that covered the lower part of his face. He had been assigned to intercept a caravan traveling along the mountain path that journeymen used when traveling between settlements to trade goods. Whenever Bolt looked onto the settlement that the Senju had created he became very optimistic and he dared to believe that eventually everything would work out. Bolt left his dwelling with speed befitting his name and set out to find his target. Bolt hurtled through the foliage, jumping from tree-branch to tree-branch to avoid leaving a trail, and in no time stood in his favorite spot, looking out over the Senju settlement. He knew that he should focus on his mission but he couldn't deny the simple pleasure of taking a minute to admire the majesty of the scenery. From his position he had a perfect vantage point to observe all of the paths that connected the settlement to the other settlements of the region and a conspicuously unmarked carriage caught his eye.

Although carriages were rare it was not uncommon to see one or two entering or leaving the village during the week. However, the families who could afford to buy carriages, and those skilled enough to make them, proudly marked the vehicle as their family's personal property by applying their family crest. The absence of such a mark was highly suspicious to one who had been trained in the ways of the ninja; acting on instinct, Bolt set off at a breakneck pace to intercept the unmarked carriage. In no time, the boy had made his way from his position on the top of the mountain to investigate the suspicious carriage. When Bolt was within twenty paces of the carriage he slowed his pace and committed himself to remaining silent and undetected by whoever was inside the carriage. Bolt's plan was going smoothly he had gotten close enough to the carriage without any sign of alarm and he planned to gently hoist himself onto the step before vaulting into the cabin.

Unfortunately, for Bolt, the moment he placed his foot on the step two things happened. First, there was an explosion that disoriented the teenager and blew him away from the carriage; second, a cloud of smoke blanketed the area making it impossible for Bolt to see. With his ears ringing and his vision blocked by the density of smoke Bolt got to his feet. Beneath his mask, Bolt grimaced as he considered how vulnerable the explosion had left him. As he completed the thought he felt the air move around him and dove forward before rolling to his feet. If Bolt had not dived out of the way then his head would have been separated from his shoulders; luckily, he had managed to evade the blow without injury. He quickly turned his body so that he was facing the spot that he just moved from and he heard a female's voice in the smoke.

"Very well done. It seems that our intel reports regarding your skills failed to do you justice. I expected that it would take you much longer to locate me and that it would take even more time for you to get close enough to activate my traps. For you to be able to anticipate my strike speaks volumes about the training that you received at the hands of the Senju clan but I know that, though you have been trained by the Senju, you are not of their clan. You are an outsider and it is because of this that I have come to offer you a proposition on behalf of the Uchiha. Join our cause and help us put down the insolent Senju dogs. Your transgressions will be forgotten and you can have a position among the Uchiha regime."

Bolt had not expected such a proposition and was momentarily thrown off balance. As the smoke cleared, the speaker came into view. She appeared to be the same height as bolt and wore red armor over the black bodysuit that covered her from head to toe. The armor extended slightly over her shoulders, but not to an extent that would prevent her arms' movement, and formed a V on her torso before rejoining at her waist. She wore a short skirt that was black with red flames dancing along the hem. However, her most striking feature was her eyes the pupil was completely red with three black teardrop-like tomoes rotating in a mesmerizing fashion: the Sharingan. Much to the amusement of the female ninja, Bolt forced himself to tear his gaze away from her eyes to prevent himself from falling under one of the infamous Uchiha genjutsu techniques.

"So, you are the Green Bolt of the Senju," the red and black clad ninja asked while slowly advancing toward Bolt. "If rumors are correct than you have much experience battling against the warriors of the Sharingan. Do you think that you can best my visual powers?"

Bolt unsheathed his blade and held it horizontally in front of his body as his body slid into his battle stance. "You know, this isn't exactly the best way to get me to agree to betray the people who took me in when I had nothing and helped me to become the person that I am today. I'll have to decline your offer."

Instead of responding the female ninja launched herself at Bolt. She threw three shuriken at Bolt, that were deflected, before slashing at him with a kunai. Her slash was met by Bolt's white and black blade causing a metallic chime to ring out. The birds in the nearby trees took flight at the sound and the two put all of their might into pushing their connected blades in an attempt to knock their opponent to the ground. After a few moments of effort Bolt began to overwhelm his opponent but before he could take advantage of the situation the Sharingan warrior disengaged and leaped back out of Bolt's range. Her hands blurred as she made a series of hand signs; seeing what the female ninja was doing, Bolt hands also became a blur as he launched into a different series of hand signs in order to counter the other ninja's action.

Abruptly, the female ninja's hands stopped moving and she held her right hand in front of her face with two fingers pointed toward the sky. She inhaled deeply before unleashing a torrent of flames toward her opponent. Bolt only just managed to complete the hand signs required to channel his chakra in a way that would allow him to harness lightning to counter his opponent's attack. The tongue of flame raced toward Bolt and completely enveloped the masked ninja. After several seconds the flames began to die down leaving a smirk on the face of the female ninja. However, when the last of the flames dissipated an electrical dome was the only thing that remained. Moments later the dome exploded outward with a thunderous boom to reveal Bolt, standing unscathed.

The female ninja resumed her offensive by throwing more shuriken at Bolt which he dodged with a series of careening flips. After the last projectile buried itself into the ground Bolt sprang back and flipped onto a low branch of one of the overgrown trees growing around the clearing. The female ninja refused to give Bolt the opportunity to escape and pursued him into the tree. She aimed a kick at Bolt's head which he ducked while sweeping his leg in an attempt to knock his opponent's supporting leg out from under her. The female ninja used the momentum from her kick to throw her body into a horizontal spin which allowed her to safely avoid the kick that was aimed at her vulnerable leg. When she landed from her spin, the black teardrops of her Sharingan spun rapidly when Bolt incidentally met her gaze and Bolt found himself locked in a stare down from which he couldn't escape.

A moment under a Sharingan induced genjutsu each second could feel like an eternity and the only limits to what the wielder of the Sharingan could do their victim were the caster's imagination and their chakra reserves. Unfortunately for Bolt, the ninja who had successfully trapped him was very imaginative. While standing immobile on the tree branch, Bolt's conscious was transported to another plane where he was surrounded by enemy ninja. Waves and waves of ninja threw themselves at Harry only to fall victim to his ninjutsu and his black and white blade. Eventually the waves of enemy ninja stopped coming and Bolt was left alone. The boy turned when he heard the sound of boots echoing as someone approached him; Bolt's heart skipped a beat when he saw his old friend Nymphadora walking toward him.

"Harry, why did you leave me?" Nymphadora asked in a pained voice. "I've been all alone because you weren't there for me. I took you in when you were all alone and this is how you repay me? I hate you, Harry Potter! I hate you and I never want to see you again!"

"NO!" Bolt shouted as his chakra exploded outward like a bomb. Instantly the scene began to flicker, as if it was in the middle of an earthquake. As the last vestiges of the genjutsu melted away Bolt's consciousness returned to the tree where his body was standing. Bolt saw blood dripping from the corners of his opponent's eyes and realized that she must have overused her Sharingan because her pupils had returned to their normal shade of black. The female ninja opened her mouth and attempted to say something but failed. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she began to fall toward the ground.

Acting on impulse, Bolt raced forward and threw himself from the tree in order to save the unconscious girl from what could prove to be a deadly impact. Living up to his name, Bolt succeeded in preventing the girl from plummeting into the ground. Mission accomplished, he hoisted the girl over his shoulder and returned to meet with his sensei: Shashirana Senju.

**AWitP: Defining Choices**

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**AN: So, I decided to make the piece a crossover with Naruto. I had just caught up with Naruto Shippudden, after taking a four year break, and felt inspired to take a foray into that world. When I first started this piece I had no idea where it was going, now I have a direction and a destination. I hope that you liked the chapter please leave me a review and tell me what you think.**


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